The Daily Grind
by Emotion Masen
Summary: A year ago Bella Swan had it all, attending college, friends, a boyfriend and her family. Then in 1 night her entire world came crashing down never to be the same. Edward Cullen recently requested for a job transfer. Relocating to Seattle, to run from his own problems, he was determined to never fall victim to another woman. That is until he meets Bella at a coffee house. REPOST!
1. The Daily Grind

Twilight and the twilight characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing but Sophie, and Nicky as well as any new characters not related to Twilight. The plot is mine as well as any out of character personality traits, and original characters.

**_This is a REPOST here on fanfic! It was pulled by fanfic and I've decided to repost it. _**

**_If you are new to the story Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy it! _**

**_If you've read it already here or on one of the other sites I post on well then welcome back and feel free to relive the story again!_**

* * *

_**The Daily Grind**_

_**Chapter 1**_

My alarm went off at four am, that's when my day started. Every day it was the same thing, the same old daily grind and part of me hated it. Who would have thought one phone call, a simple Katy Perry ringtone on my phone would give me the news that changed my life forever. Even after a year I still remember it as if it only happened yesterday.

"Bella, it's Billy Black, did I wake you?" my dad's partner asked. He never called me so right away I knew something was wrong, I knew that whatever he was about to tell me was bad news. I sat up in the bed feeling my heart pound in my chest.

"It's all right Billy, what is it?"

"I don't know how to say this…"

"Say what?"

"This is really hard to say and…"

"Damn it, Billy, just say it…" I snapped so loudly I could see the shadow of my roommate sit up in her bed. My palms were sweating, my heart racing faster.

"Bella, someone broke into your parent's house, they're gone Bella," he choked out, sounding as if he was crying and I shook my head. They couldn't have been gone. I just talked to them earlier today. I had plans to go home and visit this weekend. They weren't gone.

"Are… Are you sure?" I asked him, wanting him to tell me that they were fine. That it was a mistake. I felt the tears stinging my eyes but I refused to let them fall before I knew if this was true.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. It was some guy your dad arrested a few years back and …"

"…they can't be dead, Billy, maybe it's a mistake."

"I'm sorry, Bella it's not a mistake. I've seen…fuck I'm so sorry Bella," he said, and the tears fell from my eyes. He started telling me about the invasion and that they found the man sitting next to my father's body.

My skin went cold and then in a shaky breath I asked, "Where are Sophia and Nicholas?" I knew if both my parents were home it meant my five-year-old little brother and sister were too. If Billy said that I lost them too I was surely to die right where I was sitting.

"We found them in your parent's bedroom closet; they said your dad told them not to move until the police came. Bella, they need you," Billy said, and I was already out of my bed and getting dressed.

"I'm getting on the first flight out to Washington. Don't let social services send them to a foster home. I'm coming," I told him.

That was almost a year ago now and it still hurt; it still broke my heart. Both my parents were killed in a home invasion. I, my brother and sister were left alone. No aunts, uncles, grandparents; no one, just each other. No one was willing to take in Nicholas and Sophia. So I did the only thing I could think of, I dropped out of school and became their legal guardian. Those friends I had, my boyfriend left as if I was nothing to them.

Quickly I got dressed, having taken my shower last night like I always do. I left my hair down today. Normally I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, but for some reason I wanted it down. I chewed my lip knowing the real reason I wanted it down, _he_ was the reason. He was always the reason. I pinned my bangs back hating them in my face.

Once I was happy with my outfit, I went into the twin's room to wake them up. They were cranky in the morning but I needed to wake them up and take them to Mrs. Weber's. Thankfully, she would baby sit them until it was time for them to go to school and then take them for me. I was always out of work in time to pick them up from school.

"Come on, Nicky, Soph…it's morning time," I said, messing their hair and tickling their sides. They both groaned telling me to go away.

"Come on or the two of you are going to make me late," I say, and they groan again. I tickle their feet, Sophia popping up first because she hated when I did that.

"I hate when you do that Ella," she said and I smiled at her. When she was just learning to talk she couldn't say my name, so I told her to call me Ella, and to this day she still did.

"I know, Soph, but it's time to get up," I told her and she stuck her tongue out at me. Nicholas was still under his blanket trying to ignore Sophia and me.

"If you get up, Nicky we can do Pizza-mania tonight for dinner," I said, and Nicholas was quickly up with a smile on his face.

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart with a knight's sword," I replied, knowing that would make him smile because our parents use to always say that. I helped him off of the top bunk and then told them to go wash.

I left the two of them to get dressed and went to make them both a bowl of cereal. Once they ate we all left the house.

"Bella, why do we have to get up at the back crack of dawn?" Nicholas asked, yawning in the back seat and I looked at him through the rearview mirror.

"The what?" I asked, Sophia and I both laughing.

"I heard Mrs. Weber say it before," he says, and I smiled.

"I've told you before, I open the coffee shop for Mrs. Newton, remember?" I say, and he nods his head making a face. He hated Mrs. Newton, not that I could blame him. The woman was evil, well sort of. She did give me a job when I needed one. My parent's life insurance covered the house, cars and Sophia and Nicholas' private school tuition up until they finished college. There was even enough for me to finish eventually, but I would worry about that later. I still needed to work, to pay bills, buy groceries and keep them clothed and fed.

"Ella, do I have to get a needle today, too?" Sophia asked, and I knew she was asking because Nicholas had a doctor's appointment today. He had asthma, so I always made sure to make all his doctor's appointments.

"I'm not getting a needle, Sophia! I'm not getting a needle, am I, Bella?" Nicholas asked, looking scared out of his mind thanks to Sophia and I knew that was her plan.

"No, Nicky, just a normal checkup with Dr. Cooper," I tell him, and he nods his head and sticks his tongue out at Sophia.

When I arrived at Mrs. Weber's she was already waiting outside, like always. I gave Sophia and Nicholas a hug and told them to behave or there was no Pizza-mania tonight. They both lied saying they would behave and climbed out of the car.

"Bella, have you figured out what you are going to do with them for the summer?" she asked me, and I shook my head because I had no idea what I was going to do.

"Have you thought about summer camp?" she asked, and I didn't think I could afford summer camp. The family attorney always tried telling me to take them out of private school and use the tuition money to be able to afford taking care of them, but I couldn't do that. I knew how important it was to my parents for us to have the best education and I was going to make sure that was what Sophia and Nicholas had.

"I'll look into it," I told her, only half meaning it. I waved at Mrs. Weber and thanked her, like always for taking them.

I quickly pulled off for the coffee house arriving ten minutes to opening. I knew Mrs. Newton would be pissed because she always liked me to have the coffee already brewing by the time the customers start to come in. I parked in my usual parking space and got out of the car. I rushed inside through the back door, quickly shut off the alarm, ran behind the bar and hit the switches on the coffee pots. I always prepped everything the night before. I pulled my apron on over my head and started to set up all the tables in the café.

Once that was done, I turned on the television to channel five news and then the radio. Why Mrs. Newton always wanted them both on, I'll never know. I turned the sign from closed to open and then went behind the counter. I started up five cups of black coffee, three cups of coffee with cream and extra sugar, then two cappuccinos. The same ten people came in first every morning, and they ordered the same thing each time. The front door opened and Quil, the delivery guy from the bakery across town, came in with today's deliveries.

"Morning, Bella."

"Morning, Quil." I replied with a smile. He helped me put everything away like he did every morning. He tried asking me out again, like he did every morning, and I turned him down just like I did every morning. Mr. Jones came in first and I gave him his coffee, while he sat down at the table in the far back to read his paper. Everyone else started to come in and my co-worker, Lauren, came in late, like always.

The coffee shop was busy which wasn't surprising to me at all. Everyone was on their way to work, coming in for their coffee and their breakfast. I kept a smile on my face and made certain to get all of their orders right. I never missed a beat, even caught Lauren's mistakes. Mrs. Newton hated when I ran late but she would never fire me because I was the reason this place ran so smoothly.

"Bella, Harold said this was cold." Lauren gave me his cup. I dumped it in the sink, quickly made him another cup and gave him a complimentary donut to go with it.

"You're the best, Bella," Harold said, leaving me a tip and I smiled at him. I ran around filling orders, making coffee and yelling at Lauren to get out of my way because she continued to ruin orders. How she managed to do this since we pretty much got the same customers every day made no sense to me.

Every order was the same, except one. _His._

I always knew the moment he walked in, wearing his tailored suit that probably cost more than my entire paycheck. My heart always raced in my chest when he came in, with his thick, messy, bronze hair on those hazel more like gold eyes. As he approached the counter, I turned my back to him and pretended to have to focus on the cup I was holding in my hand.

"Mmgh." I heard him clear his throat, but I didn't turn around. I couldn't because whenever I looked at him my insides melted. He made me forget everything; my name, my age, my phone number, I mean everything. I needed to pull myself together before looking at him.

"Hi, how can I help you today?" I hear Lauren ask him in her little slut voice. I know that was a bit much but she was a slut.

"I would like Isabella's help," he replied in the most smooth, heated voice you could ever imagine. I knew he was talking about me. He never let Lauren help him; he wouldn't take help from Mrs. Newton when she was here. I inhaled a deep breath and turned around to look at him.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen, what can I get for you?" I asked, praying that he would just make a simple order like everyone else. Every day he came in here and asked me a new question about myself. If I enjoyed the weather, my thoughts on some huge news story, why I choose to wear my hair up instead of down. Or why I have on red nail polish. He asked about my favorite color, favorite food, favorite flower; they never seemed too personal, but I couldn't understand why he wanted to know.

It was weird I knew that, even more weird that I was never uncomfortable answering his questions, I wanted to. It all seemed so innocent because it wasn't like he ever actually asked me out. I didn't want him to, all right I did, but I would have only turned him down. I have too much going on in my life to be concerned about a love life.

"Isabella, I thought we talked about this and I requested you call me Edward," he said, with that sexy damn grin on his face. It made my heart do somersaults. I inhaled a deep breath.

"What can I get for you, Edward?" I asked, and his smile grew larger.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes at him causing him to laugh heartedly.

"I like your hair today…"

"Thank you," I replied, not giving him eye contact, as I feel my cheeks heat up from my blush. I knew he would be happy I wore it down today, since I usually always had it up. He cleared his throat and quickly looked down at my fingers, which were tapping against the counter.

"French tips this week?" he asked, and I smiled at the fact that he always noticed any changes I made to myself. Nothing went unnoticed to him.

"Yes, I thought a change would be nice," I replied, and he nodded his head and it looked like he was about to reach for my hand, then he quickly pulled his hand back and pushed it into his pocket. I waited to see what question he would ask me today.

"Are you excited about the summer starting?" he asked me nervously, and I wanted to say no because I have to find someone to watch the kids during the day, but he didn't need to know that.

"I'm not a huge fan of the heat, but thankfully it never gets too bad here in Seattle," I replied with a smile, which he quickly returned.

"Yeah, when I lived in New York, the humidity was a killer," he said, and I grinned. It was such a rare moment when he would slip up and reveal something about himself.

"How long did you live in New York?" I asked him, and I watch something pass in his eyes, it was sadness and anger. Already, I regretted asking the question.

"You don't have to answer that I…"

"…it's all right. I lived there for about ten years," he replied, and I nodded my head chewing on my lower lip. After standing there silently for a few moments, he finally made a coffee order that I quickly filled. I handed him his cup and his fingers brushed over mine. I quickly snatched my hand back feeling something warm pass through me. His eyes were large for a millisecond and I wondered if he felt it too.

"Have a great day, Isabella," he told me, paying for his coffee and leaving me a tip.

"You, too, Edward," I replied, watching him walk out of the coffee house. I kept watching him, wanting him to look back at me.

"Why don't you just ask him out?" Lauren asked, coming up next to me.

"Because I have too much baggage that I'm sure a man like him wouldn't want to deal with," I answer, placing my tip in my apron and the money for the coffee in the register.

"That's true; I don't know any guy willing to put up with…" I cut my eyes at her and she stopped talking mid-sentence. I didn't need her reminding me that my situation could possibly mean never being romantically involved again. I mean it was hard enough for single mothers trying to date, and in this case, Sophia and Nicholas weren't even my children, they were my siblings.

I shook the depressing thoughts from my mind and continued working up until it was closing time. Lauren and I cleaned up and I looked at the time again knowing that I had to take Nicholas to his doctor's appointment. I started to hang up my apron just when Mrs. Newton walked in, I groaned seeing her.

"Bella, can I speak with you?" she asked, and I checked the time on my watch again.

"I have to take Nicholas to his doctor's appointment."

"I won't take up too much of your time, please sit," she said, pointing to a table and I rolled my eyes and walked over to the table. I sat down and she sat down across from me.

"Bella you know you are a fantastic employee."

"Thank you Mrs. Newton."

"And while I know you have a lot of responsibility…"

"…Mrs. Newton are you firing me?" I asked my heart racing and she started laughing. I hadn't told a joke…I was serious.

"Why would I fire my best employee?" she asked, and I relaxed some falling back against the chair.

"I'm actually doing the opposite. I want to give you a raise, a promotion actually," she says, and I look at her completely dumbstruck.

"I don't know what to say."

"Well, don't say anything yet. My husband and I will be moving, but we don't want to close the café. Our son Mike will be sort of the owner since he will still be here in Washington, but I would like to make you Manager."

"Are you shitting me?" I asked, and then slapped my hand over my mouth realizing what I said. She scowled at me for my language, but didn't say anything about it.

"Is that a yes?" she asked, and I nodded my head. With the raise I could afford to put Sophia and Nicholas in summer camp. We talked about what my responsibilities would be, and that I would have to work every other Saturday. I signed some papers and couldn't wait to tell Sophia and Nicholas the good news.

"Oh my god! Mrs. Newton, I have to go!" I yelled, looking at the time and seeing that school was about to let out. I was supposed to pick them up early for his doctor's appointment and knew that I missed it.

"All right we'll talk later," she said, as I ran out of the door. I jumped into my car and started speeding hoping to get to the school in time. Then I saw the damn flashing lights behind me and I groaned pulling over. I looked at the time again and knew that I was going to be late picking them up.

There was a tap on my window and I didn't even see the cop get out of the car. I rolled down my window.

"I'm sorry officer, I didn't mean to speed, I have a…"

"Bella?" I hear a familiar voice say, and I look to see Billy standing there and I smile.

"Hey Billy…"

"Late picking the kids up?" he asked, and I smiled nodding my head.

"Follow me," he said, walking back to his car. I watched him get in, then he pulled up next to my car.

"Police escort," he told me, and I smiled, nodding my head. I followed behind him and in no time I pulled up outside of their school. I thanked Billy and he made me promise to bring Sophia and Nicholas by for dinner on Sunday. I loved that even though Charlie was dead, Billy still helped out where he could, as he was always still there for us. He got a lot of grief from some people for not taking in Nicholas and Sophia himself, but I knew that he was afraid of something like what happened to my parents happening to him, and Sophia and Nicholas being harmed.

Billy, and his wife Rebecca, helped as much as they could and I was always grateful for the help. I went inside of the school and found Sophia and Nicholas sitting in the office. They both looked up at me, angry.

"You're late," Nicholas says.

"I know and I'm sorry," I say, taking their hands. I wave at the secretary and we leave. I help them into the car and told them to buckle their seatbelts. As I climb into the car, I tell them about my promotion and that they would be able to attend summer camp. They were more than excited and it made me feel amazing.

We arrived at the doctor's office late, but I was hoping Dr. Cooper was still there to at least fill Nicholas' inhaler prescription. We walked in and I told them both to sit down and wait. I approached the nurses' station and groaned seeing that it was Jessica Stanley. We went to highschool together; I didn't like her then either.

"Is Dr. Cooper still here?" I asked, and she looked up at me.

"No."

"Well, did he leave a prescription for Nicholas?" I asked, hoping he remembered this time. Jessica got up and walked over to the file cabinet. I watched her pull out a chart which I assumed was Nicholas chart.

"No, he didn't leave one," she said, and I blew out an irritated breath.

"Well, is there someone here who could write the prescription, Nicholas really needs a refill and…"

"Then maybe you should have gotten here on time," she said, cutting me off and I swear if it wasn't for Sophia and Nicholas sitting there, I would have slapped the hell out of her. I looked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"There is a doctor still here, but he won't write the prescription without seeing him first, so come in," she told me, and we all followed her back to an exam room. She told me it would be about five minutes before the doctor would come in and I went to ask the doctor's name, but she already left the room.

"She's a butthead," Sophia said, and I laughed agreeing with her. Nicholas looked around the room and I knew he was nervous. He hated coming to see the doctor.

"Relax, Nicky, remember after we leave here, we're going to Pizza-mania," I reminded him, and he nodded his head chewing on his lip. The door opened and the doctor walked in.

"Edward?" I asked, before I could stop myself, and he looked at me shocked to see me as well. He looked at the chart, then Nicholas and Sophia, then back at me.

"Isabella…" he said, and Nicholas and Sophia started laughing. I knew it was because they never actually heard anyone call me Isabella. Edward stared at me for a long time and it was making my heart damn near beat out of my chest. He cleared his throat then turned to Nicholas. He asked him about his asthma and how he was feeling. Nicholas seemed relaxed as he talked to him, while I was everything but relaxed.

Every once in awhile, Edward would look over at Sophia and me to ask me a question, and Sophia would blush when he smiled. He was even dazzling my little sister. Edward handed me the prescription for Nicholas and he looked like he was having a hard time with something.

"You two make sure you listen to your mom," he says, and again Nicholas and Sophia start to laugh while Edward looks puzzled.

"She's not our mom," Sophia says, and Edward's eyebrows shoot up. I knew that looking at them someone would think so because we looked so much alike.

"No?" he asked, and I thought I heard a little hope in his voice but I was sure I was just hearing things.

"No. She's our sister," Nicholas answered.

"Yeah, our mom and dad were killed by a bad guy who tried to rob them," Sophia added, and I could always count on her to tell the world our business. Edward looked at me with sad eyes again and I didn't want anyone's pity.

"I'm sorry," he said looking at me, and I nodded my head standing up and taking Nicholas and Sophia's hand.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," I replied, preparing to leave the room. He looked like he wasn't happy with me calling him Dr. Cullen instead of Edward. I told Sophia and Nicholas to make sure to use the bathroom before we left. I opened the door and Sophia and Nicholas walked out arguing over who was going to use the bathroom first.

"Isabella…" I hear Edward call to me and I turn around to look at him.

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," he said, taking a step towards me and I chew on my lip nodding my head.

"Are you raising them alone?" he asked me, and once again I nodded my head.

"How old are you?" he asked, and it is then the one question he's never asked me.

"What does it matter?" I ask, not in the mood to hear someone else tell me that I was too young to be raising them.

"It doesn't I suppose. I was just curious. To see such a selfless person give up her own life before she was even old enough to enjoy it, so that she could raise her siblings, is just unheard of," he told me, and I knew that was true. I inhaled a deep breath.

"That must have been a hard decision to make."

"It was never one I ever considered. They need me, so I'm here," I answered, hoping that made sense to him. He nodded his head, his eyes boring into me. I couldn't look away from him, I wanted to.

"You're beautiful, smart…but selfless has to be the sexiest of all your qualities," he tells me in a deep voice, and I felt my insides start to melt. He cups my face and that warm feeling starts to spread throughout my body again.

"I've been so captivated by you since that first day I saw you, fighting this desire to be near you. I thought maybe if I continued asking you questions and I got to know you, you would be just like the rest of them. But you surprise me more and more."

"I'm just me."

"You don't see yourself clearly, Isabella; you're amazing, exquisite," he says, his face so close to mine. His breath like a drug intoxicating me. I couldn't; my focus and first concern was and would always be Sophia and Nicholas.

"Edward I-I…" His lips were on mine before I could finish. I moaned feeling his soft lips on mine. His tongue darted out along my lips causing a shiver up my spine. He lifted my face, bringing me closer to deepen our kiss. When his tongue entered my mouth, I drowned in him, feeling his tongue massage mine, I almost died and went to heaven. This kiss was hot, heated everything I knew I was missing. His hand snaked to the back of my neck playing with my hair. He nibbled on my bottom lip, a moan leaving his mouth.

"Positively exquisite…" I think I hear him moan, but I couldn't be sure. His lips move over my jaw and I know I have to stop this.

"Edward…" I moan out breathlessly, and he takes my mouth again with much more passion behind this kiss. I wrapped my arms around him, pushing my fingers into his hair and rising up on my toes to deepen our kiss. He groaned, slamming me against his body and I moaned feeling his erection on my stomach. He wanted me, and god I wanted him. We were two adults and there was no reason we…

"Stop it, Nicky before I tell!" I hear Sophia yell, and I quickly push Edward back and step out of his arms. He looked crazed as if ready to attack me. But there was a reason we couldn't do this. I had two children to raise and I had no room for a good fuck in the hay.

"I can't, Edward…" I say, hoping he understood and would just forget about this.

"Bella…" he started, and I shook my head. It sounded so good hearing him call me Bella. It felt so good being in his arms but I couldn't.

"Thank you again, Edward," I said, as I saw Sophia and Nicholas coming down the hall. He saw them walking up also.

"Tomorrow," he said, rather than asked and I didn't reply. He said bye to the kids and told me that he would see me tomorrow. I simply nodded my head and turned to leave. I was sure once I told him I wasn't looking for just a good fuck that I would successfully scare him off just like the rest.

I took Soph and Nicky to Pizza-mania as promised, then helped them with their homework. I got them bathed, and into bed. They said their prayers, asking for our parents to watch over us and then they got into bed. I showered and walked past my parent's old bedroom. I never went in; I could never bring myself to go in. I had the entire house redecorated, every room but my parent's room. I closed the door and walked to my bedroom. I dressed in my pajamas and climbed into bed. Some days I found myself asking how things would be different if I hadn't dropped out of school and taken Sophia and Nicholas, but guilt soon followed after the thought.

I thought about Edward and my lips stung remembering the way he kissed me. Then something he said replayed in my mind. He said he was trying to fight the desire to be near me. Did he not want to be near me? I wasn't forcing him; I didn't want this anymore than he did. My life was complicated enough without a man making it worse. I shut my eyes to let sleep claim me so that tomorrow I would start the daily grind all over again.

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**_Again This story is simply just a repost of my story before fanfic pulled it. I will post a new chapter everyday! If you do not want to wait then feel free to read it on one of the other sites it is completed and posted on._**

**_Thank you to all new readers and if you want just re-read it for the fun of it well come on!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	2. Dangerous Territory

Twilight and the twilight characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing but Sophie, and Nicky as well as any new characters not related to Twilight. The plot is mine as well as any out of character personality traits, and original characters.

**_This is a REPOST here on fanfic! It was pulled by fanfic and I've decided to repost it. _**

**_If you are new to the story Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy it! _**

**_If you've read it already here or on one of the other sites I post on well then welcome back and feel free to relive the story again!_**

* * *

**_Dangerous Territory_**

**_Chapter 2_**

Edward never showed up that next day like he said he would, or the days following. That was almost a week ago now and I wouldn't admit it out loud but I was actually upset that he hadn't shown up. I tried convincing myself that it was for the best. I couldn't afford to get my emotions involved with anyone in any kind of way.

When I woke up this morning I had this feeling that it was going to be a really long day. I continued the same morning routine getting Sophie and Nicholas ready for school.

"Ella I hate getting up so early," Sophie said as she ate her cereal. Nicholas nodded his head in agreement as he pushed his spoon into his mouth.

"I know and I'm sorry but I have to work you guys," I told them as I finished making their lunch.

"Well can't you work somewhere else?" Nicholas asked chewing with his mouth open. I scrunched my face up at him.

"Don't talk with your mouth open it's gross," I said and he started smiling.

"Do you like sea food?" He asked and just as Sophie and I yelled no he stuck his tongue out. Sophie laughed while I turned my head away from him. After they finished eating their breakfast we left for me to drop them off at Mrs. Weber's place.

"Remember you have to be on time Ella," Sophie told me from the back seat of the car. I smiled at her through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah because Principle Nelson smells," Nicholas added making Sophie giggle.

"That's not nice Nicholas," I told him even though it was true. I swear I don't know what kind of aftershave the man wore but it could burn the hairs in your nostrils off.

The moment I pulled up outside of Mrs. Weber house I smiled seeing Mrs. Weber's daughter Angela standing out there with her. I climb out of the car with the kids and Angela quickly approached me pulling me into a hug.

"Bella I am so so sorry about your parents," She said into my ear and we hugged each other tighter. Angela and I were best friends in high school. When it was time for college I choose to go to UCLA while she decided not to go at all and traveled around the world. I wanted to go with her but my parents wouldn't even tolerate the idea.

Mrs. Weber couldn't get in contact with Angela when everyone found out about my parents death. The last she knew was that Angela was in Africa. Thinking about it now it was great I wasn't traveling the world or by the time I got the news about my parents they would have probably already put Nicholas and Sophie in foster care.

"I missed you," I whispered back in Angela's ear and she pulled back to look at me.

"What time do you get off work?" She asked.

"Three." I answered fighting the tears that wanted to come.

"I'm coming over tonight and we are having a sleepover," She told me and I started laughing as I felt the tears in my eyes. I nodded my head and told Nicholas and Sophie that I would see them later. I waved bye to everybody and jumped back in the car and left for the coffee shop.

I pulled up outside and parked in my parking spot. I noticed a black Bentley sitting in the parking lot and I inhaled a deep breath not in the mood for any trouble. I climbed out of the car and at the same time I watched the door to the Bentley open.

I hadn't realized how scared I was until my heart beat started to race. I instantly relaxed when I saw that it was simply Mrs. Newton's son Mike.

"Hey Bella!" He shouted throwing his hand up in the air. I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding and waved back at him.

"Hey Mike," I replied shutting my car door. I headed for the coffee shop and he followed behind me.

"My mom said you get here early…"

"Every day." I replied placing the key inside of the lock. I opened the door and shut off the alarm. Mike was talking but I honestly wasn't listening to him. I started my routine as he continued talking. Preparing the shop for the customers I tried to keep thoughts of Edward out of my mind.

"Bella?" Mike called to me and I looked up at him.

"I said I think we should meet sometime this week to discuss remodeling." Mike said and I looked at him with a brow raised.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the new owner and you're the manager," He answered and I rolled my eyes.

"I meant why are we remodeling. Your mother just remodeled a few months ago," I said just as a knock sounded on the door. I smiled seeing it was Quil from the bakery. I walked over and opened the door for him.

"Morning Bella,"

"Morning Quil," I replied back with a smile. I helped bring in the baked goods and put them away. Today he didn't ask me out but I was sure it was only because Mike was here. After he left I switched the closed sign to open and turned around to see Mike looking at me.

"Bella are you seeing anyone?" He asked with a smile on his face and I was getting ready to ask him what the hell when the door opened with our first customer. Thankful we were busy so I was able to avoid having to have that conversation with Mike.

When he realized I wasn't going to be answering his question anytime soon he left telling me we would talk later. Lauren came in late as always but this time I pulled her to the side.

"If you keep coming in late you can just stop coming in all together," I informed her.

"Excuse you?" She asked as if she didn't understand what I just told her.

"If you come in late again you're fired Lauren." I replied more sternly. I never fired anyone in my entire life but, I also wasn't going to put up with her coming the hell in whenever she wanted.

"Who the hell died and made you boss?" Lauren snapped at me.

"Mrs. Newton made me manager," I answered and she looked pissed now.

"Excuse me can I get some help over here!" I heard a customer say. I gave Lauren a warning look then turned around to serve the customer. Lauren didn't say anything else to me for the rest of the day. It seemed with the threat of being fired she actually started to work. Once it started to slow down I started on a new batch of coffee.

"Could I have the usual?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me say. My heart practically stopped. I couldn't turn around. I was too scared to turn around. It was him. I was sure of it. I inhaled a deep breath and I looked over at Lauren.

"Don't look at me, we both know he only wants you to serve him his coffee," Lauren said and I rolled my eyes with a groan. She nudged my hip.

"Hey at least he's cute," She whispered and I laughed. Inhaling another breath I turned around to face him. My goodness he was more attractive than I remembered him being. His hair was a mess on his head and it looked like he hadn't shaved since the last time I saw him.

"With milk today?" I asked in a shaky breath. He didn't answer. He stepped closer to the counter and for some reason I did the same.

"How are Nicholas and Sophie?" He asked me. A smile touched my lips at the fact that he remembered their names.

"They're good," I answered softly. We stood there staring at each other. I felt foolish so I quickly looked away.

"You look really nice today, but then again you look nice every day." He said, my eyes shot up at his. I needed to know if he was serious. I couldn't tell.

"How would you know, you haven't been here the last few days." I replied then cursed myself for sounding like I had missed him. Did I miss him?

"Could we talk Bella?" He asked and I instantly looked up at him hearing him call me Bella instead of Isabella.

"I-I can't I'm working…" I answered in a stutter. He pushed his hands into his pockets and looked down at his feet. It was such an adolescent thing to do, but I knew Edward was at least in his thirties. Which started making me question, what the hell he saw in me?

I was a college drop out. I hadn't even finished my junior year. I was only twenty-one and I worked at a coffee shop. I had the responsibility of two children. There was no way a doctor in his thirties was remotely seriously attracted or interested in me.

He probably just wanted to show he could still get a young twenty something girl to fall for him to all his rich doctor friends.

"Could we talk after you get off work?" He asked taking me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him. Inhaling a deep breath I knew I needed to put an end to this before it went any further and I ended up with my feelings seriously hurt.

"No I don't think that's a good idea. I have kids to pick up remember?" I replied in a snarky way.

He inhaled a deep breath as if he was getting irritated. Why should I listen to anything he had to say? We had nothing to talk about. We kissed so what? Yes it was a mind blowing kiss, but just a kiss all the same. If he really wanted to talk to me it wouldn't have taken him a week to finally show up at the coffee shop.

"I see you're going to be difficult. Could I call you then?" He asked and this was the first time he has ever requested my number. Part of me wanted to give it to him but I couldn't.

"No we have nothing to talk about. I'll get your coffee," I said quickly turning away from him. I fixed his coffee and grabbed him a plain bagel. I placed his coffee and bagel down in front of him and he pulled the money from his wallet.

He held it out to me, which was new. Normally he simply placed it on the counter. I reached out to take it and he gripped my hand pulling me closer to him.

"I won't pressure you, but I hope you change your mind," He told me. Then he released my hand. He took the coffee and bagel and left out of the coffee shop without so much as a backwards glance.

"Now tell me again why you won't go out with him?" Lauren asked coming up next to me and I cut my eyes at her.

"Never mind forget I said anything boss lady," She replied. I looked at her with a brow raised.

"What?" She asked looking confused.

"Did you just call me boss lady?"

"Yes, you are the boss lady now. You know with the power to terminate my ass and all," Lauren said then smiled at me. I wasn't sure how I felt about this. I was sure I was going to get a lot more trouble out of her about me getting manager.

We finished up for the day and when it was closing time she helped me clean up. Since today was Friday I knew I need to hurry because I had to run to the bank. I checked the time and knew there was a chance I might be late if the bank was crowded.

"I could take it Bella so you can pick up the kids." Lauren offered. As appealing as the idea was I couldn't. The last girls that worked here before Lauren and I were fired for losing the money on her way to the bank. I didn't want to take any chances and I knew Mrs. Newton was counting on me.

"No I can do it, thanks anyway Lauren." I replied. She shrugged her shoulders and helped me finish cleaning. Once we finished I took the earnings for today to the bank. I made sure to watch the time hoping I wouldn't be late picking Nicky and Sophie up again.

When I walked into the bank it was pretty crowed. I looked at my watch again and knew I was pushing it. I contemplated going to pick them up and then coming back to the bank but I didn't want to chance something happening to the money. Pulling out my cell phone I called Mrs. Weber.

"Weber residence this is Kathleen." She answered in her same chipper voice.

"Hi Mrs. Weber…"

"Bella, how are you dear what can I do for you?"

"I'm at the bank and I'm running late picking the kids up…"

"You need me to pick up the kids for you?" She asked back. I smiled. This woman would never know how much I appreciated the help she gave me.

"If you could, I swear I'll be there to pick them up in about an hour. The line is really long here and…"

"…say no more. I'll pick them up." She replied cutting me off and I breathed a sigh of relief. I thanked her a million times then ended the call. I called the school next to let them know that Mrs. Weber was coming to pick them up.

"McKinley Christian Academy, this is Mrs. Marble speaking." The school secretary answered. I rolled my eyes because I honestly hated the woman.

"Hello Mrs. Marble this is Bella Swan…"

"Oh Ms. Swan, are you on your way?"

"No but…"

"Ms. Swan you've run late every day this week..." She reminded me. I inhaled a deep breath.

"I know that and I'm sorry. I have some new responsibilities at work and…"

"If you are having trouble doing this on your own the state can…"

"I don't need the states help!" I snapped into the phone causing people in the bank to look at me. I inhaled another deep breath.

"Look a Mrs. Kathleen Weber is picking them up. She is the same woman who drops them off in the morning. She will be there shortly."

"All right." She answered. I ended the call not wanting to hear anything else she was about to say. The line started to move a little but not by much.

Every day I had to deal with someone questioning whether or not I was capable of taking care of Sophie and Nicholas. I was so sick and fucking tired of it. I didn't need them reminding me how old I was or how hard it would be to take care of a child with severe asthma. They were my brother and sister. So that meant with our parents dead, they were my responsibility.

"I think the universe favors me," I heard a familiar voice say from behind me. My eyes shut tightly as I hold the bag of money closer to my chest. Edward Cullen, Dr. Edward Cullen. For months he came into the coffee shop and confused me. Then he kissed me and now I couldn't get him or the taste of him out of my mind. Why was he here of all places? Did someone up there think this was funny? It was probably my mother, she would find this hilarious.

"And here I always thought the universe hated me..." I replied without turning around. I felt his hand on my waist. It was like fire. I couldn't understand why he was affecting me this way. It had to be because the universe hated me.

"No one or nothing could ever hate you Bella." He whispered into my ear. I inhaled a deep breath. This was ridiculous. Maybe it was because I was horny, but then again I never actually had sex so it wasn't like I knew what I was missing.

"Well it's either that or as always the universe enjoys making my life complicated," I replied. A light chuckle left his lips. It was so damn mind blowing hearing him laugh. I felt when he stepped closer to me. It was like everything about him enveloped my personal surroundings.

"I'm a complication?" He asked. I couldn't response right away. It was distracting. I opened my mouth to answer when a loud bang filled the bank followed by screams and me being pushed to the floor.

"Everybody down!" A man yelled over the chaos of screams. I turned my head to see what was happening and saw three masked gunman standing at the entry of the bank.

"Oh my god…" I said in a panic.

"It's okay, I won't let anything happen to you." I heard Edward whisper from next to me. It is then when I realize it was him who pushed me to the floor. His arm was over me protectively as he watched the gunman.

One man shouted for the bank tailors to give them everything while another walked around collecting money from everyone else on the floor. I couldn't lose this money. I would be fired and I couldn't get fired. If I was fired the social worker would be all over my ass again. I couldn't risk losing them.

"Your turn lets go," I heard the man standing over me say. I held the bag tighter and shook my head.

"Bitch are you crazy? Give me the damn money!" He shouted. Then I felt a nudge on my side.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Edward yelled. I inhaled a deep breath. This wasn't happening. Could my life get any more fucked up? I kept my eyes on Edward. He looked so angry it was almost frightening.

"What are you going to do if I do touch her? Uh what are you going to do pretty boy," The man said then I felt him touch my side again. This time I knew for sure it was his hand. Then in a flash I watched Edward grip the man pulling him down to the floor and punching him in the face. The man was out cold. Next I heard guns cocking. When I looked up they were aimed at Edward.

"NO!" I yelled jumping up in front of Edward.

"Here take the money alright just take it!" I yelled throwing the pouch at them. They looked at me then at Edward.

"We don't have time for this, we need to get the hell out of here," One of them said and I chewed on my lip.

"What about him?" The other one asked referring to the guy Edward knocked out.

"He's on his own; he shouldn't have been fucking around." The man answered. When they walked away I breathed a sigh of relief. They ran out and the sirens soon followed. I turned to Edward,

"What the hell were you thinking they could have killed you?"

"He shouldn't have touched you, and what the hell were you thinking. Why didn't you give them the damn money in the first place?" He asked back. I shook my head. The police rushed in, late as always. Instantly Billy spotted me on the floor.

"Bella are you all right?" He asked rushing over to me. Slowly I stood up and nodded my head. I told him what happened and about the man on the floor. Two officers came over and got the guy up.

"Great job son," Billy said shaking Edward's hand.

"It was nothing that guy was a coward." Edward replied.

"Still you did something when even the damn security guard didn't. Also thank you for protecting Bella. She's really important to us at the Seattle Police department." Billy said. Edward looked at me with a questioning look and I shook my head.

I felt like we were all there forever before questioning was finally over. Billy offered giving me a police escort home but the last thing I needed was any more attention placed on me.

"All right, call me when you get home and don't worry about Mrs. Newton I'll talk to her." Billy told me. I nodded my head hoping that I wouldn't end up fired behind this. I mean it wasn't like I stole the damn money.

"Could I walk you to your car?" I heard Edward ask. I didn't have the energy to tell him no so I just nodded my head. We walked silently. He was probably thinking I was an idiot for not just giving that guy the money when he first came over. Normally I didn't care what people thought, but for some reason I needed him to understand. I stopped walking as did he.

"Forget something?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No. I just want you to know that I knew it was stupid holding on to the money because they could have killed me, but either way I saw me losing Sophie and Nicholas. Holding the money seemed like the better choice at the time." I told him. Then he looked at me the way most people did, with pity. I didn't want anyone else feeling sorry for me.

"I understand…"

"Good. They come first, they always will." I continue hoping he understood exactly what I was trying to tell him. He nodded his head.

"I understand that too."

"Then tell me what this is about? Why all the questions about myself all the time. I have baggage you see that now. Plus what could you want with me; I'm too young for you." I told him and I watched a smirk form on his lips.

"You're too young for me, but not too young to raise two young children on your own?" He asked. I rolled my eyes seeing his point even though I didn't want to.

"What do you want from me?" I asked him. He stepped closer to me and something in me was telling me to step back but I didn't.

"Anything you are willing to share with me." He answered and I closed my eyes. Now I stepped back because this was really dangerous territory here. We started walking towards my car again. Once we reached it I turned and looked up at him.

"Thank you for protecting me back there…" I said nodding my head towards the bank.

"Thank you for saving my life. I don't know many people who would have stood up in front of a gun for me." He replied back with that smirk and I felt my blush fill my cheeks.

"Could you at least take my number down to let me know you get home okay?" He asked. I nodded my head and he takes my hand into his. I watch as he writes his phone number down in the palm of my hand.

"You know I could have just put your number in my cell phone." I said with a smile.

"I know, I just wanted a reason to touch you again. Get home safely Bella." He said releasing my hand and starting to walk away. I unlock the car door just as he calls my name. I turn around to look at him.

"If it's any consolation I'm 32, and you are more mature then any woman I've ever met my own age." I told me and laughed. He started walking away again and I climbed into the car. I inhaled a deep breath because I just knew this was really dangerous territory. I placed his number into my cell phone and then started the car leaving for Mrs. Weber's place.

When I finally arrived to Mrs. Weber's house I felt horrible for leaving her with the kids for this long. I parked the car, and then quickly climbed out. I rung the door bell and it quickly flew open. I was instantly pulled into Mrs. Weber's arms.

"Thank the heavenly gods you are okay." She said hugging me and I pulled back looking at her puzzled.

"When you didn't show up, I called the police station. They said something about a bank robbery and dear God I could only think the worse." Mrs. Weber said. I assured her I was all right even though I was there.

"Ella!" I heard Sophie scream as she came running over to me. She hugged my legs and I hugged her back. Nicholas followed hugging me on the other side.

"Hey I'm sorry I'm late." I said. She looked up at me with our father's big brown eyes.

"We thought something bad happened." She said with a pout.

"Nope, you know what happened? My silly tire went flat." I lied. I couldn't tell them I was in the middle of a bank robbery.

"I told you to let me fix it." Nicholas said and I laughed.

"I guess I should have uh?" I said back and they laughed. I thanked Mrs. Weber again and she flagged me.

"Not necessary." She replied.

"I hope the three of you aren't getting ready to leave without me. I was serious about that sleepover." I heard Angela say and Sophie and Nicholas shouts with excitement.

We stopped at McDonald's for dinner since I knew there was no way I was going to cook dinner tonight. The moment we arrived home Sophie and Nicholas took Angela upstairs to show her their new room. Why they still called it their new room was beyond me. I fought with the idea of texting Edward and finally gave in.

**_Home safely, thanks again ~ B_**

**_I was starting to worry ~E_**

**_Don't ~ B_**

I texted back. I placed Sophie and Nicholas food out on the dining table and waited for them to come back downstairs. I sat down at the table and looked up at the family portrait that resided on the wall. It was of this five of us.

I smiled remembering that day. My dad hated taking pictures but my mom wouldn't give up. She said she wanted one with the five of us. I was with dad. I had just turned eighteen and thought I was entirely too cool to be bothered with a family portrait.

The photographer kept telling me how much I looked like my mother. She loved it of course. Thinking about it now, I loved it too. Mostly because I knew that Renee wasn't my real mother. I wanted her to be and if you asked me who my mother was I would always say it was her.

But the truth was she married my dad when I was eight. I hated her that first year they were dating. So much of me wish I could take back that year. She forgave me for all the silly things I did, all the pranks I pulled on her.

I was so afraid she was going to up and leave us like my real mother had done. But Renee never did. She sat me down and explained that she wasn't going anywhere. She told me that I was her daughter and nothing was going to change that. From that moment on she was my mother, and nothing had every changed that.

"They haven't changed at all…" I heard Angela say. I looked up at her and it was then I realized a tear had fallen. I heard Sophie and Nicholas coming down the stairs and I quickly jumped up wiping my eyes.

"Hey guys why don't we go pick a movie while Bella gets the food out for us." Angela said walking out of the dining room and keeping them from coming this way. I pulled myself together. I didn't want them to see me crying. Once I felt like I was fine I called them into the dining room to eat.

"Ella, I painted a really pretty picture today in art class." Sophie told me.

"Did you? When do I get to see it?" I asked her.

"Mrs. Hummel said we have to let it dry before we can take it home." She answered and I nodded my head.

"Well I can't wait to see it," I replied and she smiled. I looked over at Nicholas who was playing with his chicken nuggets.

"Did you pant too Nicky?" I asked him and he shrugged his shoulders.

"You don't know if you painted?" I asked him.

"He's mad because call the kids said they were giving their pictures to their mommy's and some stupid boy in school said we couldn't because we don't have a mommy." Sophie told me. The anger that shot through me was bound to kill somebody.

"Why can't you shut up Sophie!" Nicholas yelled. He jumped up from his seat and stormed out of the dining.

"What did I do?" Sophie asked looking from me to Angela.

"Nothing Soph," I assured her as I got up from the table. I went in search of Nicholas and found him sitting outside of our parents' bedroom.

"I should have punched him in his face…" Nicholas said. I sat down next to him.

"No that wouldn't have been nice." I told him and he looked over at me.

"Well what he said wasn't nice."

"I know Nicky, but people are going to be assholes," I replied and he started laughing.

"We had a mommy…"

"The best mommy ever and when you two bring home your paintings we can take them to her." I said and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess, but it's not the same."

"I know. How about instead we place them in her art studio. She would really like that." I said. This earned me a smile showing all his pearly whites.

"That would be great!" He yelled jumping up from the floor.

"Good, go let Sophie know and apologize for yelling at her." I told him and he nodded his head.

"Bella," He called to me and I gave him my attention.

"Yeah…"

"You're a great big sister." He said, and then he ran down the steps calling to Sophie. I sat there on the floor not wanting to move. Slowly I stood up and I faced my parents' bedroom. Placing my hand on their door I fought the idea of going inside.

"Ella come on we have to watch the movie!" Sophie yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah Angela said she's going to make sundae's!" Nicholas yelled. I smiled and walked down stairs. We watched the movie they picked out and at the ice cream sundae's Angela made. Once it was time for bed Angela helped me get them washed up and tucked in.

"I really missed having you around." I said to Angela as we sat down in the kitchen. She laughed pulling out ingredients for margaritas.

"I wish I was here sooner. I'm really sorry I wasn't." She said pulling out two glasses.

"Don't be. It's not like you knew it was going to happen, or that you didn't show up because you didn't care." I said thinking about my so called friends from college. Two claimed they couldn't get out of classes; one didn't even give me an excuse.

"You are my best friend Bella. I might have been traveling the world these last few years but that hasn't changed. Anything you need I'm here to help." She told me. I couldn't stop the tears that started. Instantly she was by my side.

I cried for my parents, I cried for Nicholas and Sophie, I cried for myself and I cried for the cards life had dealt me. I cried because I couldn't remember the last time I had cried. I wiped my face filling silly.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. That's what I'm here for. Remember when you let me cry on your silk shirt after Mike broke up with me?" she asked and I laughed.

"I still don't know what you saw in that jerk." I replied and we both started laughing.

"I could never tell you." She replied sitting down next to me. We made drinks and she told me all about traveling the world. I envied her for having been to so many places.

"So what made you finally decide to come home?" I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Something just said it was time to come home." She answered.

"Well whatever that something was, I'm grateful." I told her. We talked most of the night. I was thankful she avoided any conversation about the night my parents died.

"Oh do you remember when your dad caught us in your room drinking those wine koolers? I thought his head was going to pop off his head." Angela said as we both sat their laughing. My phone chimed that I had a text message.

"Boyfriend?" Angela asked and shook my head picking up the phone.

"I don't have time for any of that. Plus guys run the moment they find out I have Sophie and Nick" I replied looking at the phone. I saw that it was from Edward. A smile touched my lips before I even opened the message.

**_Buonanotte Bella, or as we say in English Goodnight Beautiful ~E _**

The message read and I felt my cheeks completely flush.

"Oh that look on your face says that message is from a guy," Angela said. I laughed shaking my head.

"He's just a…" I paused because I didn't know what he was. The only thing I was still certain of was that this was dangerous territory.

* * *

**_Again This story is simply just a repost of my story before fanfic pulled it. I will post a new chapter everyday! If you do not want to wait then feel free to read it on one of the other sites it is completed and posted on._**

**_Thank you to all new readers and if you want just re-read it for the fun of it well come on!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	3. Entering My World

Twilight and the twilight characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing but Sophie, and Nicky as well as any new characters not related to Twilight. The plot is mine as well as any out of character personality traits, and original characters.

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Entering my world_**

**_Chapter 3_**

I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had a day to myself. I mean the entire day. I had absolutely nothing to do. I didn't have to work today thanks to Mrs. Newton covering my shift, and Angela took Sophie and Nicholas out for the day.

I tried telling her she didn't have to. I mean if I worked, Mrs. Weber would have watched them for me until I got off, but I felt guilty having them at Angela's or anyone else when I was home.

_You need a break so shut up and get over it,_ I remembered her telling me before leaving the house with them. They were excited because she was taking them to the carnival which was in a town not far from here. Angela was by far, the most awesome best friend for which I could have ever asked.

The moment they left, the first thing I decided to do was take a long bubble bath. I ran the water, set the candles and even set up my iPod to play my favorite playlist. I sent a text to Angela to call me if they acted up or if she needed anything.

**_Can you get some rest and let us be. ~Ang_**

**_Well don't bite my head off. ~ B_**

**_Then go relax, I promise they are fine. ~ Ang_**

**_Thanks, Ang. ~ B_**

**_No need to thank me, now stop texting me woman. ~ Ang_**

I smiled and started the music on my iPod. Next, I undressed then climbed into the tub. Sitting back in the warmth of the water I tried to relax. I shut my eyes and listened to the music that filled the room.

My mind was far from shutting off, as I seemed to think about everything all at once. It made me sad because almost all my thoughts were sad ones now. I couldn't think about my parents without feeling the pain of losing them. I couldn't think about Sophie and Nicky without remembering that they were growing up without our parents. Every thought seemed to make me sad, well not every thought. Since five months ago, I've been able to think of one thing, one person that didn't usually end with me being upset.

Edward.

From that first day he came into the coffee shop, he placed a smile on my face.  
_The coffee shop was busier than usual because Mrs. Newton put a billboard on the main highway. She was fighting back against the recession, as she said. It paid off because it seemed like everyone in the state of Washington was coming into the coffee shop._

_"Bella, Ms. Karen needs another cup!" Mrs. Newton yelled at me. I inhaled a deep breath. I didn't understand this woman. She wanted me to tend to the register and play waitress._

_"I'm with a customer, Mrs. Newton," I replied. I heard her blow out an irritated breath, then she ordered Lauren to go do it. I knew she didn't want to send Lauren; she was a horrible waitress._

_I turned around to serve my next customer and was met with the most beautiful hazel eyes I'd ever seen in my life. They belonged to a man, who was at least in his late twenties. His hair was the craziest color of bronze I'd ever seen on a person. I didn't take him for a man that dyed his hair, but could someone really be born with that color?_

_"Hello, I'm your Isabella and my name is server," I said, then slapped my hand over my mouth when I realized what I said to him. The customer behind him laughed and I could feel the fire filling my cheeks. He smiled at me and my knees buckled._

_"Oh my god, I meant…"_

_"It's all right no worries. I can see that you're stressed," he replied in the sexist voice. I swear everything about this man had to be illegal. I felt like I was back in high school with a crush on the quarterback of the football team._

_I forced a smile on my face, even though I was completely embarrassed. I started to chew on my lip waiting for him to say something else. I didn't trust myself to say anything of intelligence._

_"If it makes you feel better, I'm Edward Cullen," he replied pushing his hands into his pockets. I couldn't resist watching when he did this. I felt a twinge in my gut at the sight of how tight his pants seemed to get from that little action._

_He cleared his throat and I pulled myself back together. Looking back at him I could see a questioning look on his face. I figured he was probably wondering what was taking me so long to take his order._

_"What would you like today, Mr. Cullen?" I asked, putting on my best smile. I watched his jaw go tight, as if me smiling made him angry._

_"Just a medium coffee, extra sugar, milk instead of cream," he answered. _  
_I turned around to get his order when I heard him ask, "Do you attend a university here in Washington?" I turned back to look at him._

_"Are you talking to me?"_

_"Yes," he answered, as if I had asked him a stupid question._

_"Um no, I attended UCLA."_  
_"How did you like it?" he asked. I wasn't sure what his agenda was, but I answered his question anyway._

_"UCLA had great professors and classes available. I learned a lot."_

_"You enjoyed the classes?" he asked, the shock evident in his voice._

_"Yes, what did you expect me to say, I enjoyed all the frat parties?" I asked jokingly._

_"Honestly? Yes, that's what I expected," he actually answered back. I was slightly offended. This man didn't know anything about me._

_"Well, Mr. Cullen, I promise I am nothing like what you would expect," I replied, with a lot more bite in my voice than I meant to have. I could see all in his face he wanted to challenge that. I grabbed his coffee and placed it on the counter._

_"What is your favorite donut?" he asked, and I looked at him as if he lost his mind. How had we gone from where I went to school to what my favorite donut was?_

_"I like the cream-filled ones," I answered, pointing at them on the counter. _

_He nodded his head then said, "I'd like two Boston cream donuts."_

_"Seriously?"_

_"Yes, unless you have a better suggestion," he replied. I couldn't resist the smile that touched my lips as I reached in and grabbed the two donuts for him. I wrapped them up then placed them inside of the bag for him. I handed him the bag and he reached in and pulled out one of the donuts._

_"I ordered this one for you," he said, handing me the donut. Saying I was surprised would be an understatement._

_"For me?"_

_"Yes, you said you liked the cream-filled ones and you look like you need something sweet to brighten your day," he answered, and I smiled at him. I took the donut from his hand hoping he didn't feel my hand tremble._

_"Thank you."_

_"You're very welcome, Isabella. You have a nice day, don't let the people in here stress you out," he told me, while digging into his wallet. He took the money out and placed it on the counter._

_"Keep the change," he said before picking up his coffee and walking away. It wasn't until he walked out of the coffee shop that I remembered everyone else around me._

_When he came in the next day a huge stupid grin filled my face when he walked up to the counter._

_"Good morning Isabella."_

_"Good morning, what can't I get for you?" I asked him._

_"Large coffee, two sugars and cream," he answered. I was good at remembering orders so I knew that this was different from what he ordered yesterday._

_"Anything else?"_

_"A plain bagel," he answered. I nodded my head and turned around to fill his order. I finished his coffee first, placing it on the counter._

_"Would you like the bagel toasted?" I asked._

_"Yes, that would be nice," he answered. For some reason I felt like he was being a smartass. I placed the bagel in the toaster and waited for it to finish toasting._

_"Have you lived in Washington your whole life?" he asked, and I looked around. Was he talking to me?_

_"Yes, I'm talking to you," he said with a smirk on his face. Crap could he read my mind? I cleared my throat and answered his question._

_"Yes, I grew up in a little town called Forks, actually." I could tell by the look on his face he never heard of the place._

_"Do you still live in Forks?"_

_"No, my parents wanted to live in the city," I answered and a sudden case of sadness filled me. We lived in Forks, up until mom became pregnant with Sophie and Nicholas. I didn't ask why they wanted to move; I was a teenager and tired of the little town anyway._

_I could tell Edward was about to ask me another question when the toaster popped up his bagel. I took that opportunity to grab his bagel and change the subject._

_"Would you like butter, jelly or cream cheese?"_

_"What would you pick?"_

_"Me? I like butter and jelly."_

_"Butter and jelly it is," he answered and I smiled. I served him his food and he paid leaving me a very generous tip._

_He came every day that week, ordered his coffee and breakfast, while asking me a personal question about myself._

_When Friday came I had this feeling that I would never see him again. He didn't look like he was from these parts, so I was sure he was probably just visiting._

_But he showed up that very next week and the week after that. Each time, I served him his coffee and he asked me a question. I wouldn't admit it but I looked forward to it._

_Then one day when he came in, I wasn't at the register, I was actually disappointed I would miss out serving him his coffee. Mrs. Newton wanted me to tend to the customers who decided to eat in. As I walked around the shop I couldn't keep myself from looking over at him._

_He reached the counter and I saw him look behind Lauren as if he was looking for something, or someone? Yeah it was wishful thinking on my part. She smiled and pushed her little boobs up._

_"Bella, did you hear me?" I looked down at the customer sitting at the table._

_"I'm sorry, Harold, what do you need?" I asked him. He recited his order to me again. I walked over towards the counter and now Mrs. Newton was talking to Edward. He didn't look happy, but then again, I rarely saw anyone happy when talking to Mrs. Newton._ _I was sure Lauren must have done something wrong, as usual._

_"I can help you, what would you like?" I heard Mrs. Newton say. I looked up just in time to see her cut her eyes at Lauren._

_"I would like if Isabella was my server," he replied, and I dropped the coffee cup I was holding in my hand. It hit the ground with a crash shattering to pieces._

_"Girl, have you lost your mind!" Mrs. Newton yelled at me._

_"No, Mrs. Newton, it was just an accident."_

_"Accident or not, that cup is coming out of your paycheck," she replied, and I inhaled a deep breath. I kneeled down to clean up the mess I made._

_"She's busy, how can I help you?" Mrs. Newton asked him again._

_"I'll wait for her."_

_"That could be a long wait," Mrs. Newton replied. I knew what this was really about. She was starting to notice that the change he told me to keep each day was a very hefty tip. Mrs. Newton didn't mind us receiving tips as long as they didn't outweigh hers._

_"I'll wait," he simply replied. I heard her whisper something to him and he replied back in a whispered tone. I don't know what he said to her, but the next thing I knew she said,_

_"Isabella, come and serve Mr. Cullen his coffee."_

_"What about…"_

_"Lauren, clean that up," Mrs. Newton said, cutting me off before I could even finish what I was saying. Lauren looked pissed but didn't dare question Mrs. Newton. I stood up and quickly washed my hands, then went to the counter to take Edward's order._

_"What can I get for you today, Mr. Cullen?"_

_"Call me Edward, it's only fair since I call you by your first name," he said with a smirk on his face._

_"What can I get for you, Edward?" I asked, and felt my cheeks flush from saying his name._

_"A medium black coffee."_

_"That's all?"_

_"I had a rough night, and need something to wake me up quickly," he replied. I nodded my head._

_"Do you mind if I make a suggestion then?" I asked nervously._

_"You're the coffee specialist," he replied with a smirk on his face. To keep from squealing like a thirteen-year-old girl, I started to tap my finger nail on the counter._

_"I wouldn't call myself a coffee specialist."_

_"Don't worry I'll do it for you. Do you get your nails done often?" he asked. I looked down at my nails then back at him._

_"Yes, I guess I do. It's the one moment in the week I get to myself," I replied, then felt guilty when Sophie and Nicholas came to mind. I always felt guilty when I wanted alone time._

_"Do you not get a lot of time to yourself?" he asked me. Even though I didn't know him, some part of me wanted to tell him my entire life story. But I didn't and he would probably run if he heard the truth._

_"I stay busy," I answered simply. He looked like he wanted to ask me with what but changed his mind._

_"Why the color purple? I don't think I've ever seen a woman wear purple nail polish."_

_"It's a nice color."_

_"Is it your favorite color?" he asked me. I couldn't understand what his interest was in knowing this._

_"No, I prefer green. But that doesn't usually look very nice on painted nails," I replied and he nodded his head. He ran his fingers through his hair._

_"So, what would you suggest instead of black coffee?" He asked me, getting back to our original conversation._

_"I would suggest a cappuccino with two shots of espresso," I replied._

_"Is that what you have?"_

_"When I need something to wake me up quickly? Yes," I answered._

_"Then I'll take it."_

_"Good," I replied with a proud smile on my face. I turned around and quickly made his coffee. I saw the way Lauren was looking at me and she did not look pleased. Like I seriously cared how she felt. After I finished his coffee I placed it on the counter then reached in and grabbed him a cinnamon bun with icing._

_"These usually cheer me up in the morning, puts a little pep in my step," I told him, placing the cinnamon bun in a bag._

_"I look forward to trying it," he replied. He pulled the money out of his wallet._

_"The cinnamon bun is on me, you know something sweet to brighten your day," I replied, and then felt my cheeks flush from the embarrassment of repeating his words from the first day. He smiled at me, then placed the money on the counter._

_"Thank you and keep the change," he told me. He picked up his coffee and roll, then walked out of the coffee shop._

_I didn't know what a man like Edward Cullen was doing in Seattle, Washington, but I was sure it wasn't permanent._

_Every week I prepared myself for him not to come in, but he did. Every day for five months he came into that coffee shop._

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the ringing of my house phone. Groaning, I climbed out of the tub and wrapped my towel around my body.

By the time I opened the door the phone stopped ringing. I considered getting back in the tub until it started to ring again. Quickly I rushed up the hall to get the phone.

"Hello?" I answered out of breath.

"Is this Bella Swan?" A familiar feminine voice asked. I was really hoping it wasn't who I thought it was.

"Yes, who's calling?" I asked nervously.

"It's Emily Parker," she answered, and I think I died a little. Emily Parker was the social worker assigned to the case of Sophie and Nicky. She never called off schedule unless someone called her about me. I had a feeling it was probably the school secretary, Mrs. Marble who contacted Emily.

"Hello, Emily, what can I do for you?" I asked sitting down on the floor. I didn't want to help her, I wanted her to go away. I hated having to prove to the government that I could take care of my sister and brother. Like I would leave them to some foster home who would only want them for the check.

"I'm sure you already know what this phone call is concerning," she said. I rolled my eyes as I ran my fingers through my hair.

"No, I can't say that I do know what this phone call is concerning," I answered, not in the mood to play this stupid game.

"I've received phone calls from people concerned about your ability to take care of Sophia and Nicholas."

"From people, who are these people?"

"You know I can't tell you that Bella, but is it true that for the last few weeks you've picked the kids up late from school?"

"Yes, but…"

"…and is it true that you missed Nicholas' doctor's appointment?"

"Yes, that's true but…"

"I hope I don't have to remind you how important it is that Nicholas make each and every appointment," she said, cutting me off again.

"No, you don't have to remind me, and may I remind you that Sophie and Nicky have been perfectly fine for the past few months. So, tell whoever called you, they can kiss my ass," I snapped. The phone remained silent and I knew I was wrong for responding that way. Emily was doing her job and honestly I couldn't have asked for a better social worker to be assigned to Sophie and Nicky. It was just that if anyone saw anything they felt I was doing wrong, she got called and I was sick of it. I inhaled a deep breath trying to calm myself.

"I'm sorry, it's just…"

"I know, Bella, and I want you to know that I always have Sophia's and Nicholas' best interest at heart. I know no one can love them like you can, but loving them is not the case," she said. I shut my eyes fighting the tears.

"I can take care of them, Emily. I just received a raise and have to adapt to a new schedule, that's all," I replied, tapping my foot on the wooden floor.

"What are you going to do with them for the summer?"

"I'm putting them into summer camp. It is with a family friend's church; remember Mrs. Weber?" I asked.

"Yes, the woman who watches them for you from time to time," she replied, as if reading it off a paper.

"Yes, it's her church; she suggested the place to me. I can give you the information if you want to look into it," I told her.

"No, I trust you. Just try to make it on time Bella, and don't miss anymore of his doctor's appointments. I can't stress it enough how important that is," she told me.

"I know, Emily, and it won't happen again."

"Good. Are we still on for my visit next Sunday?"

"Yes."

"All right, see you then, Bella," she said and that was the end of the phone call. I sat on the floor, fighting with the desire to go find Mrs. Marble and Jessica, because I was so sure they called Emily.

My parents may have died in February, but I hadn't actually been approved of guardianship of Sophie and Nicky until July.

In a fairy tale it would have been simple. The court would have simply allowed for Sophie and Nicky to stay with me, but life wasn't a fairy tale. The judge, like everyone else, questioned my ability to take care of them. My track record didn't make me look too good either. I had a little of a record. Freshman year, I had a boyfriend who got me in some trouble, if it honestly wasn't for being Charlie's daughter, could have ruined my life. The judge tried to question that my father could have easily covered up anything else. So, he was going to take that strike in my record seriously.

I was told I had to have everything in order to show I could provide for them. It seemed like it took forever for the insurance money to kick in, because they actually tried to question if my father committed suicide as the result of the gunshot. It had seemed like everything was fighting against me. If it wasn't for Mrs. Weber and Billy speaking on my behalf, I honestly don't think I would have won guardianship of them.

Thankfully, I had won, but not without some additional specifics. A social worker was ordered to our case for two years. The time I had to prove that I could maintain and provide for Sophie and Nicky. The family lawyer tried telling me if I pulled them out of private school I would have a lot more money, but I refused to pull them out of the best school in the state of Washington.

Eventually, I pulled myself up off of the floor and went to put on my clothes. I cleaned up the bathroom, and then went into Sophie's and Nicky's room to clean up in there too. I needed to stay busy because it seemed like no matter how hard I tried someone was out to get me.

After I finished cleaning, I had no idea what to do with myself. It wasn't until that moment that I realized I had no life outside of Nicholas and Sophia. I was no longer Bella Swan the college student, who felt suffocated by the small town she grew up in. I was no longer Bella Swan with the "great" college friends and the "perfect" boyfriend. I was no longer the carefree Bella Swan. She died that same night my parents died.

I had no children of my own, never even had sex, but I was a parent. I had the responsibility of two additional lives who depended on me.

I know this much, after that night I could never listen to Katy Perry's teenage dream and not feel sadness. I decided to call Angela and see what the kids were up to.

"They are fine, Bella," Angela said the moment she answered the phone. I laughed sitting down on the couch.

"I just wanted to be sure they aren't giving you any trouble," I replied. I could imagine the eye roll she just gave me.

"Do you want to talk to them?"

"Yeah, could you put them on?" I asked, chewing on my lip. She laughed and called to Sophie first.

"Hi, Ella! We're having so much fun!" Sophie yelled into the phone and I laughed.

"That's great, Sophie, are you being good?" I asked.

"Yes, Angela said if we were bad she would never take us to the Carnival again. Ella, did you know it's here until June!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you should come with us next time," she told me.

"I'll be sure to do that, you be good, all right?"

"Yes, love you, Ella."

"Love you too, Sophie."

"Here's Nicky," she replied. I could hear the phone being passed and then Nicholas was on the phone.

"Bella, guess what?" he said the moment he got on the phone.

"What?"

"I won a gold fish!" he answered with so much excitement in his voice.

"No way?"

"Way, and I named him flipper." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Flipper, well okay. I guess when you get back we can go to the pet store to get some fish food."

"So, I can keep him?"

"I don't see why not, but listen here buddy, I am not running an aquarium," I warned and he laughed into the phone.

"Thanks, Bella, love you!"

"Love you too, be good!" I yelled, knowing he probably already passed the phone over to Angela.

"Feel better now?" she asked when she got back on.

"Yes, and thank you again for taking them out today, it really means the world to me."

"If you thank me one more time I am going to feed you my chili," she replied. I laughed so hard I think I actually snorted. Angela was a horrible cook, but nothing was as bad as her chili.

"I won't thank you anymore…"

"Good, just think of me as their self-appointed god mother. I am here to help anyway I can. Now if I am correct, you have at least another few hours to yourself so go read a book or something."

"Yes ma'am," I answered. We hung up and I continued to sit there on the couch, bored. I looked through my phone and saw Edward's name. I debated texting him but I couldn't bring myself to give in. So instead, I decided on a movie. Looking through them I decided on Bridesmaids, it was funny as hell and sure to take my mind off of life.

An hour into the movie I received a text message from no other than Edward Cullen.

**_How are you today? ~ E_**

**_I hope it's okay that I am texting you. ~ E_**

The second message came in before I could even reply to the first one. I smiled at how nervous he appeared to be. I contemplated making him sweat a little bit more but thought that would be too mean.

**_It's all right if you text me, you did save my life yesterday. ~B_**

**_And here I was thinking it was you who saved my life. So since it is now confirmed that I CAN text you, you haven't answered my first text. How are you? ~E_**

**_I could be worse, how are you? ~ B_**

For some reason I wanted to pour my entire heart and soul out to him, but I was refraining from doing so.

**_Better, thanks to a certain brunette. How are Sophia and Nicholas? ~ E_**

**_They are good, enjoying the carnival today with my best friend ~B_**

**_Oh, if I am disturbing your time with them, I'm sorry. I'll just talk to you later. ~E_**

The idea of him not texting me anymore actually made me sad.

**_Oh no, I'm not with them at the carnival. My best friend took them to the carnival to give me some alone time. ~B_**

**_It's good that you have a friend like that. ~ E_**

**_Yeah she's great. ~B_**

He didn't respond for the longest time and I felt a little sad again. I wanted to text him back but was afraid of coming off as a crazy young person. I continued to watch the movie and about a half hour later, I received another text message from him.

**_Can I see you, Bella? ~ E_**

Reading the message, I was speechless. I mean, what was I supposed to say? I've only known the man for the past five months, but still knew nothing about him.

Did I want to see him?

Would it give him the wrong message?

I wasn't changing my mind about dating, at least not until I officially had full and complete custody of Sophie and Nicholas. I couldn't be worried about some guy when I had to make sure the social worker had no reason to take them from me.

But something in me wanted to see him.

Something in me texted back a reply,

**_When do you want to meet? ~ B_**

**_Right now ~ E_**

Then there was a knock on the front door. My heart started racing and slowly I got up from the couch.

He couldn't be at my door, how would he even know where I lived?

Well, our address would be in Nicholas' chart at the doctor's office and Edward is a doctor. But isn't that like against some rules or something?

Did I really care?

I inhaled a deep breath and checked out the peep hole. I saw him standing there on my front step looking completely fucking sexy and nervous all at once. My heart was beating so loud I was certain he could hear it.

I stepped back away from the door. I knew opening it would mean a lot more than letting him into my home. I knew it would me letting him into my life.

But wasn't he already part of my life in some way? I received another text.

**_If you want me to go, I will. ~ E_**

**_How did you find out where I live? ~ B_**

I needed to know, I wanted to know how he found out.

**_Nicholas' chart. I'm sorry I just really wanted to see you and…you can send a complaint to Dr. Cooper and I'll never bother you again. ~ E_**

Before I could think if that was even what I wanted, I rushed to the door and swung it open.

"No, don't go, you're not bothering me…" the words rushed out of my mouth. He gave me that smile and I felt my cheeks flush. Just like that I had given him permission to enter my world.

* * *

**_Last chapter tonight! _**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	4. Taking Chances

Twilight and the twilight characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing but Sophie, and Nicky as well as any new characters not related to Twilight. The plot is mine as well as any out of character personality traits, and original characters.

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Taking chances_**

**_Chapter 4_**

My breathing was out of this world as I looked at him. What the hell had I just done? Why did I open the door? Why didn't I just let him leave? I hadn't moved from the spot I was standing in, I couldn't. Did I really want him to stay?

"Are you sure, Bella?" he asked. His voice was like warm milk. I couldn't speak so I simply nodded my head yes while stepping back allowing him inside. Edward entered the house and just the smell of him made me dizzy. I wanted to be wrapped in his arms and stay there.

Christ, what was wrong with me?

I shut the door placing my forehead against it. I wasn't prepared to look at him just yet. I felt sixteen all over again. It was like I had just invited my boyfriend over while my parents were out.

Only he wasn't my boyfriend. He was a thirty-two-year-old man. Exactly eleven years older than me. When I was just getting my period, he was twenty three and probably sleeping with every girl under the sun.

This was wrong, wasn't it? If my father was here, he would toss Edward out on his ass, for going after his little girl. A smirk touched my lips because I could just hear Charlie saying it now.

"Are you all right, Bella?" I heard Edward ask with concern in his voice. He probably thought I was some sort of basket case.

"Yes, perfect. Please make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back," I replied, quickly walking away without so much as a glance his way. I needed to pull myself together. Then I stopped abruptly and turned around to look at him.

"Don't leave."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied with that smirk on his face. I couldn't help smiling back as my cheeks flushed. I turned heading up the steps to my room.

Even though he was eleven years older than me, I was still an adult. Plus, I honestly didn't care what anyone thought. There was nothing illegal against us…us…

What were we doing?

I walked into my room and looked at myself in the mirror. I needed to change my clothes. I wasn't dressed inappropriately but you know I could always look better. I put on a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt.  
I looked at myself in the mirror again and pulled my ponytail holder out of my hair. It fell down around my back and around my shoulders. It wasn't until then I realized how long it was. I ran my fingers through my hair, I knew he liked when my hair was down.

Then I stopped. What was I doing? What was I thinking? I couldn't even consider dating anyone.

My life was far too complicated as it was; adding a man would just be stupid.

I would remind him again, that I wasn't looking for a relationship of any kind. I would tell him that he needed to go, and stop whatever he was trying to do because it wouldn't work.

My focus was on Sophie and Nicholas. If I started dating, I just knew someone would find a way to use it against me in the custody hearing. Nothing was worth losing them, not even my personal life.

Inhaling another deep breath, I felt I had successfully talked some sense into myself. I walked out of my room and back downstairs. I reached the bottom of their stairs and I watched him. It was just something about him that made me melt. I felt like I could tell him anything without fear of being judged.

When I entered the living room Edward was looking at the pictures on the fireplace mantel. I watched him pick up a picture of Nicholas, Sophie and I at Sesame Place last summer. He smiled at the picture as if he was having some memory of his own.

"It is amazing what you are doing for them," he said without turning around. How did he know I was standing here? I sniffed myself to see if I smelled. Thankfully I didn't. I cleared my throat and tried to remove the surprise out of my voice before I spoke.

"I'm just doing what my parents would have wanted me to do, what they raised me to do," I finally replied walking over to him. He placed the picture back on the mantel and then turned to me.

He didn't speak right away. He just looked at me. I watched his eyes take me in as if he was seeing me for the first time.

"I know they're proud of you," he said clearing his throat. I looked down at my feet and shrugged my shoulders. Some days I didn't feel like I was doing enough.

"I don't know, I guess so."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Downplay what you do for your brother and sister. I bet your parents are up in heaven bragging about you being their daughter to anyone who will listen," Edward said, lifting my face to look at him. The tears fell before I could stop them. His thumb caught one, whipping it from my cheek.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he said, stepping closer to me.

"It's not your fault. Some days are just…"

"…I'm sorry," he said, cupping my face in his large hand. Looking into his eyes I saw so much, but thankfully none of it was pity. I was used to seeing it in people's eyes; I expected to see it in his. We stood there with him holding my face in his hand. I felt safe, a feeling I hadn't felt in so long.

I watched as his face seemed to come closer and closer to mine. I knew what was about to happen and it couldn't. I needed to stop this before it went any further. Quickly, I pulled away from him.

"Edward, listen…"

"…please don't, Bella."

"Don't what?"

"Push me away."

"Whatever this is, whatever is happening between us, can't happen."

"I'm not asking you to marry me... I just want-I just want to get to know you," he told me. I looked at him for what felt like hours before I spoke.

"Why? There is nothing fascinating or special about me."

"That's where you're wrong. You are the most fascinating person I've ever met in my life.

Everything about you is special, and if you allow me to even be considered your acquaintance, I'll be honored," he replied leaving me completely speechless. What was I supposed to say to something like that? How was I supposed to reply? I know how I wanted to reply, I wanted to let him kiss me again.

I stepped back away from him some more. Running my fingers through my hair I felt like this was happening to torment me.

"I'm sorry if that was too forward, but it's the truth," Edward told me, and I think what was really scaring me was that for some strange reason I believed him.

I knew that I said I should tell him to go but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I could be his friend, I needed friends. Before Angela came back, I had no one but Edward and his questions at the coffee shop.

"Where are you from, Edward?"

"You want to know where I'm from?"

"Yes, all this time we spent you asking me questions. Now I want to ask you questions," I replied sitting down on the loveseat. He nodded his head coming around and sitting down on the couch.

"I was born here in Seattle, grew up in Chicago, but I lived in New York most of my adult life," he answered. I was a little surprised by his answer.

"Well, don't you get around," I teased and he smiled at me.

"I guess you could say that."

"Do you still have family here in Seattle?"

"Yes, my parents and my sister."

"Is your sister your only sibling?" I asked. I saw what looked to be conflict on his face. I was about to tell him never mind when he answered me.

"I have a brother. He lives in California with his wife," he answered. Rubbing my hands on my thighs I knew I should change the subject.

"Did you like living in New York?"

"Yeah, I actually miss all the noise," he answered with a smirk on his face.

"I was the opposite. When I went to school at UCLA, I actually missed the quietness of Washington."

"You get used to the noise in New York, the people, too."

"What do you miss most about the city?"

"The hospital…"

"You miss work?" I asked with a smirk and he laughed.

"I know, ridiculous, right? But it was always something new, something I didn't learn in medical school."

"So why did you leave the big apple?" I asked, and then regretted the question by the look on his face.

"There was nothing left for me there," he answered again, with conflict on his face.

"An ex?" I asked before I could stop myself. He looked up at me and I saw the pain in his eyes. I wanted to go to him, to hold him and tell him it would be okay.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked with a crooked smile touching his lips. I smiled back deciding to change the subject again. I knew how it felt when people continued to talk about something you no longer wanted to discuss.

"So what were you doing today other than breaking the rules and finding my address?" I asked him, with a smile touching my lips so he knew I was only teasing.

"I had a few patients this morning, then I texted you, found your address and here I am," he replied with a boyish smile.

"Your day was much more interesting than mine. I tried relaxing, but instead I received a phone call from the social worker because people were _concerned_ about my ability to take care of Sophie and Nicholas," I said, then cursed under my breath. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin the mood by talking about my mess. I swear I had no filter when he was around.

"Who the hell would question your ability to raise them?" he asked, anger filling his voice.

"You'd be surprised."

"Does that happen a lot?"

"Yes, no. Sometimes we make it weeks without a complaint from some concerned person," I answered, tucking my feet under me on the couch.

"How do they even know to call this social worker?"

"She introduced herself to almost everyone that knows us; don't be surprised to find her on your doorstep," I half joked, running my fingers through my hair.

"I would never say anything that could risk you losing them, Bella."

"I know," I replied.

"So, did something bad happen? Is that why you have a social worker?" he asked, and I shook my head and started to tell him about Emily and how she had to monitor my parenting for two years before the judge would decide if I was what was best for Sophie and Nicholas.

"How could anyone think you weren't what was best for them?" he asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. I still have another year before all of this is finally over."

"It's not your fault, Bella," he said, as if he knew I needed to hear that. I nodded my head but didn't look at him.

"My parents wrote in their will, everything was to be left to us in the event my father or my mother died. My parents planned for everything, but they could never think to plan for them both dying at the same time," I said, picking at the string hanging out from the couch.

"No one could predict something like that," Edward agreed.

"Sophie and Nicholas would have been on their own if I didn't take them. I made the decision to drop out of school and raise them. I don't regret it…" I said, looking up at him now.

"I know."

"I just hate everything we have to go through, as if losing our parents wasn't enough."

"I'll help you, Bella. Anyway I can," he told me.

"That's very nice of you."

"I'm serious, Bella. I don't know who you might have already helping you, but I'm offering my services. I'll even do your food shopping. I'm not much of a cook though," he told me, and I couldn't resist laughing.

"Sophie and Nicholas only like my cooking anyway," I replied, and he laughed also. We sat there in a comfortable silence.

"Can I ask you a question, Edward?"

"You just did," he joked with another smile. I was really starting to love seeing him smile.

"Very funny," I replied.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Seriously though, I've been curious about something."

"Sure, what else would you like to know?"

"Every time you came into the coffee shop, why did you ask me questions about myself?" I asked. He sat back against the couch and pushed his fingers into his hair. I could tell he was trying to think about how to answer my question.

"At first, I wanted to prove to myself that you were like all the other women in the world I've met, but the more I asked about you, the more intrigued I became. The more I wanted to know about you as a person. I wanted to know what you liked to watch on TV, what kind of music you liked to listen to, everything."

"Why didn't you just…ask me out?"

"Would you have said yes?"

"No."

"And I knew that. So I was willing to get what I could of you. Then when you were sitting there in that doctor's office and I found out you were raising your brother and sister, I just- I knew there was no way asking you questions in a coffee shop would suffice anymore," he explained. If my life was normal, if I didn't have so much at risk, I would have fallen in love with Edward at that exact moment.

It scared me.

"Edward, I can't give you whatever it is you are looking for," I explained, and he sat up. Placing his forearms on his knees, he leaned in toward me. His eyes boring into mine with his hands clasped together tightly.

"I'm not asking you to give no more than you are willing to give."

"I'm not dating."

"Okay."

"I mean anyone, including you. I can't risk losing focus on what is important in my life because of a man. I'm not saying that you would do it initially, but…"

"…I understand, Bella," he said cutting me off. He looked as if he was disappointed, but I wasn't changing my mind. I couldn't afford to. When my real mother left Charlie and me, it was because of some man. It scared me that a woman could be so wrapped up in a man that she could leave her own husband and child behind without ever returning. I wouldn't allow myself to be that involved with a man, especially now that I was raising Sophie and Nicholas.

"If you want to leave, I'll understand."

"Is that what you want, do you want me to leave?" he asked. I looked at the front door and imagined him leaving with the possibility of him never returning to my life. It hurt.

"No, but I have no right to ask you to stay after telling you that I wouldn't…that I can't…"

"…Bella, I told you I understand and I do. I want to stay. I want to be here for you, to help you. I would like to get to know Sophie and Nicholas and see if they are even half as amazing as their big sister. I told you I am not asking you for anything more than you are willing to give," he told me.

I felt the tears again. I didn't realize how alone I felt in all of this until that moment. I had Mrs. Weber and Billy, but it wasn't the same. With Angela back and Edward offering to help, I realized how much I needed it.

"They're much cooler than I am, trust me," I told him, and he smiled at me again. We sat there silently neither of us saying a word. It was a comfortable silence.

"You know that day you saw Nicholas at the office?"

"Yeah."

"That was the first time he was ever relaxed while seeing a doctor," I informed him, and he looked surprised.

"He doesn't like seeing a doctor. I'm not sure why exactly. I just know he has breakdowns whenever he has an appointment. Dr. Cooper has been their doctor from day one and Nicholas has never taken to him the way he took to you that day."

"It's a gift I guess. I've always been good with children," he told me and I couldn't resist smiling.

"That doesn't surprise me."

"Is Sophia afraid of going to the doctor, too?"

"No, Sophie is a tough cookie. Sometime she gives Nicky his pep talks," I replied with a smile.

"Wait, is her name Sophie or Sophia?" Edward asked, and I laughed. I often confuse people when it came to her name.

"My parents named her Sophia, but from the moment she was born I called her Sophie. At first, it started off as a joke but she started answering to it, then Nicky started calling her Sophie, too. My mom and dad thought it was funny and said it was her nickname now. Like how she calls me Ella because when she was learning how to talk she couldn't say Bella," I told him and he laughed.

"Why would you start calling her Sophie?"

"At the time, I was really into the musical Momma Mia, and the daughter's name in it is Sophie.

When I saw Sophia, I said she was a little Sophie," I answered with a shrug.

"So you enjoy musicals?"

"Yes, I love them. It was an interest me and my mother shared. My father could never understand it," I replied with a laugh.

"Your face lights up when you talk about them," Edward told me. I stopped laughing and looked at him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, whenever you mention any of their names, your face lights up," he replied. "You're beautiful," I think I heard him say, but I couldn't be sure. Silence filled the room again as we sat there.

"Have you ever been to see a Broadway musical?"

"No. Have you?" I asked. Before he could answer, the front door flew open with Sophie and Nicholas running into the house.

"Ella, we won you a teddy bear!" Sophie yelled. They both ran over to me talking a mile a minute.

"Bella, I took them out to eat so they shouldn't be hungry until dinner," Angela said shutting the front door behind her.

"Bella, are we going to go to the pet store today?" Nicholas asked, holding up the goldfish he won at the carnival.

"Yeah, we can. Maybe even get him some friends to swim with."

"Really! Can we get a clown fish like Nemo!" Sophie yelled.

"Yeah and can we get…" Nicholas trailed off as he finally realized that Edward was sitting on the couch. Sophie turned around to see what Nicholas was looking at.

"Dr. Cullen?" Sophie asked. Edward nodded his head.

"Hi, Sophie. Hi, Nicholas."

"Are you here to give me a needle?" Nicholas asked, and I could already see his breathing starting to pick up.

"Nicky, he's not here to give you a needle," I said, sitting up on the couch and pulling him closer to me.

"But…But…"

"Nicky, relax. Ed-Dr. Cullen is here to see me," I explained.

"Why? What's wrong with you, Ella?" Sophie asked.

"Are you sick? Is she sick, Dr. Cullen? Make her feel better," Nicholas pleaded, looking at Edward.

"I'm not sick."

"Then why is Dr. Cullen here to see you?" Sophie asked, looking between the two of us. I looked up at Angela and her face said she wanted to know the answer as well.

"Bella and I are friends, I just came to visit," Edward answered. Sophie looked happy with his answer but not Nicholas.

"Why don't you two go take your things upstairs, then when you come back down we'll go to the pet store," I told them. They both nodded their heads and went for the stairs. I stood up from the couch and to thank Angela for taking them out.

"Sure, no problem, I promised I'd take them to the zoo next weekend, if you don't mind."

"No, that would be great, actually. I have to work on Saturday," I answered. She nodded her head while looking over at Edward.

"Angela, this is Edward. Edward, this is my best friend, Angela," I introduced. Edward stood up and shook her hand.

"I've heard a lot about you," Edward said with a smile. Angela instantly smiled back.

"I've heard a lot about you, too, Edward," Angela replied with a laugh, and I nudged her side. Edward smirked pushing his hands into his pockets.

"I'm going to go, you call me," she said, wiggling her eyebrows and I was really hoping Edward didn't see that.

"I will and thanks again."

"No problem, love you," she said, giving me a hug.

"Love you, too," I replied, hugging her back. Once she was gone I turned back to Edward.

"How long have you and Angela been friends?"

"Years. I don't know what I would do without her," I replied. He nodded his head just as I heard Sophie and Nicholas' footsteps coming down the stairs.

"We're ready Ella!"

"Is he coming with us?" Nicholas asked. I could tell by the way he asked the question that he was hoping my answer was no.

"Uh, no, Nicholas, I'm not going with you guys. I have somewhere else to be," Edward said, probably sensing that Nicholas didn't want him to go with us either.

"Where do you have to be?" Sophie asked.

"Sophie, that's none of our business. You don't have to answer that," I told Edward. He shook his head.

"It's all right, I don't mind. I have to go to my parents' place to cut their grass."

"They can't cut their own grass?" Nicholas asked.

"My father is out of town, so I told my mom I would come by to do it for her," Edward answered. A smile touched my lips.

"We need someone to cut our grass, Ella is really bad at it."

"Hey! I am not that bad," I replied. I saw the smile on Edward's face.

"Uh huh, you left a bald spot," Nicholas reminded me. I rolled my eyes while Sophie laughed. It wasn't really a bald spot, but let's just say that the kids were kind of right. I did need someone to cut our grass.

It seemed when our parents died, everyone in the neighborhood was willing to help. But now since a year had passed, I only had Mrs. Webber, Angela and Billy.

"I wouldn't mind cutting your grass."

"Really?" I asked, more surprise in my voice than I meant to have.

"Sure, is tomorrow all right?"

"Um, tomorrow is great. Thank you."

"No problem. Maybe Nicholas could help me," Edward said. Nicolas shrugged his shoulders then asked.

"Can we go now, Bella?"

"Yeah, go ahead out to the car," I told them.

"Bye, Dr. Cullen," Sophie said walking outside. Nicholas walked out next without saying a word to Edward.

"I'm sorry about that, he uh…"

"I understand," he replied cutting me off. Silence fell between us and I looked down at my feet.

"Bella," he called to me. I looked up at him, running my fingers through my hair.

"It was nice talking to you."

"Yeah, you, too."

"I meant what I said."

"I did, too," I replied. He stepped closer to me and I instantly inhaled a deep breath. He stood over me his jaws tight. My heart was racing as he looked at me. He opened his mouth to speak when a car horn started blasting.

"Bella, hurry up before the pet store closes!" Nicholas yelled. Edward stepped back rubbing his hand over his face.

"I'll be by tomorrow morning to cut the grass for you."

"Thanks," I said trying to pull myself together. Nicholas honked the horn again.

"Nicky, if you honk that horn one more time we will be having Flipper for dinner!" I yelled outside. I could hear Sophie laughing while Nicholas told her to shut up. I slipped my feet into my sneakers and grabbed my keys and wallet.

I locked up and Edward walked me over to my car. He said bye to Sophie and Nicky again, only receiving a reply from Sophie, yet again. I climb into the car and gave one last wave to Edward when I started the car.

"Ella, I think Dr. Cullen likes you," Sophie said from the backseat. I looked at her through the rearview mirror.

"He stinks," Nicholas said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Nicky, what's wrong?"

"He can't have you. You're all we have left now," Nicholas replied. I turned the car off and turned around to look at him. Sometimes I forgot that they were no longer the five-year-olds from that night, but six-year-olds going on seven.

"No matter that Nicky and Sophie know I am never going anywhere, it will always be the three of us against the world."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart with…"

"…a knight's sword," we all said together then laughed. I remember when I was younger, I hated when my parents said this. I thought it was so lame. For the rest of the day it was the three of us against the world.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TDG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Ding Dong_

I heard it in the distance, so I pulled my pillow over my head.

_Ding Dong_

It came again and I tried blocking it out with the pillow.

_Ding Dong_

"Ella, get the door!" I heard Sophie yell from her room. Who the hell would be at the door this early in the morning? Then I remembered that Edward was supposed to come and cut the grass today. Quickly I jumped up out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth.

I realized the doorbell stopped ringing and I was starting to think that maybe he left. Then my cell phone started to ring. I ran out of the room to get to it before it stopped. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his name.

"Hello."

"Bella, did I wake you?" he asked with concern.

"No, no. I was uh- I was in the bathroom," I lied, walking out of my room. I entered Sophie and Nicholas' room to see if they were awake. I shook my head seeing that they were both still sleeping.

"Oh, okay. Well, I'm outside. I brought my lawn mower so I'm just going to get started," he told me.

"You didn't have to, we still have one in the garage."

"I'll keep that in mind next time; do you want me to do the front lawn and the back?"

"I would owe you so much if you do."

"Then I will."

"Okay, I'll be out in a minute," I said, then hit end on the phone. Quickly, I ran downstairs and went into the kitchen first to start a pot of coffee.

Standing in front of the sink I could see him outside of the window. I watched as he lifted his lawn mower from the back of the pickup truck. I could see every muscle in his back as he lifted it, then when he placed it on the ground, I couldn't resist looking at his ass.

He was entirely too glorious for one man.

Then, as if he knew I was watching him, he looked back at me and our eyes caught. He turned around and my mouth went dry at how amazing he looked in casual clothes. I never thought shorts and a white t-shirt could look any hotter.

He started toward the back door and I inhaled a deep breath. Looking down at myself, I realized that my pajamas left little to the imagination. I considered going back upstairs to change when the knock sounded on the door.

Slowly, I walked to the door and opened it. He didn't speak as he looked me up and down. If he was anyone else I would felt uncomfortable, but since it was him it was turning me on. I thought I heard him mumbled _God help me_, under his breath but I wasn't sure.

"Morning, Edward."

"Good morning, Bella," he said still taking me in.

"Have you had breakfast?" I asked, trying to get his attention before I allowed him to play out whatever it was he was thinking.

"No, I uh just came here to uh…"

"…cut the grass?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry you just…you look…I'm going to go cut the grass," he said, pointing out to the yard. I nodded my head and watched as he walked away. I closed the door and looked down at myself. My nipples were erect and it had nothing to do with me being cold.

I walked back to the sink and looked out the window. He looked back as if expecting me to be watching him. He tossed his hand up waving at me and I waved back. He grinned at me a while longer then turned his attention to the lawn. I needed to get my mind off of him as well, so I decided to get started on breakfast like I did every Sunday morning.

I decided to make French Toast, since it was Sophie and Nicholas' favorite. As I cooked, I couldn't resist watching him work outside. I had never been more grateful for the nice weather we'd been having these last few days.

The sweat coming down his face was making me crazy. I mean I honestly considered licking it off of him. When he used his shirt to wipe his face, I almost died getting a glimpse of his chest. I continued cooking trying to remind myself that we were friends and I wanted it that way.

I started on the eggs just as there was a knock on the back door. I knew it had to be Edward, since I could no longer see him from the window. I answered the door and quickly walked back over to the stove.

"It smells great in here Bella," he said, closing the back door behind him.

"Thanks, you're welcome to stay for breakfast."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," he said, and I turned around to look at him. His shirt seemed to stick to him, thanks to the sweat. I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth in an attempt not to drool.

Friends? I told him friends?

Quickly, he walked over to me and I swore he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to. His face came closer to mine and my heart started to race.

"Bella, you're going to burn the eggs," he said, reaching behind me and turning off the burner.

"Oh god, I'm sorry…" I said, feeling like a complete idiot.

"It's all right, Bella," he said, still standing over me. I looked up at him and was fighting the desire to kiss him. He cupped my face in his hand, his thumb moving slowly over my lips.

"Just one…" he said softly, and I nodded my head. I didn't know what I was agreeing to, but I wanted it.

"Just one and I won't do it again…"

"Okay…" I heard myself say softly. His head descended lower and before I knew it his mouth was on mine. I instantly wrapped my arms around him and fisted his hair. His lips were so soft, his grip on me tight. When our tongues touched it was like a flame had ignited my entire body.

He devoured my mouth and I let him. It felt so good being in his arms. His arm pulled me tighter against his body, at the exact moment I felt his hand on the back of my neck.

"You have no idea, how exquisite you are," he mumbled against my lips. His tongue flicked against mine and I couldn't resist sucking it into my mouth. When he did the same, I thought I was going to lose it. He nibbled on my lip and I was second away from begging him to take me when I heard the toilet upstairs flush.

Quickly the two of us pulled apart, our breathing erratic. Biting down on my lower lip I looked up at him. He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked back at me.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I wanted you to kiss me," I told him and grinned at the surprise on his face.

"I'm sorry for sending you mixed signals."

"Don't be, because I was determined to come here to change your mind by seducing you," he replied, and I laughed. We were soon interrupted by Sophie coming downstairs.

"Good morning, Dr. Cullen."

"Morning, Sophie. You know you can call me Edward?" he said with a grin making her blush.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm your friend too," he told her and she smiled.

"Okay. Ella did you make French Toast?"

"Yeah, go have a seat," I told her. She ran over to the table and sat down.

"Are you having breakfast with us…Edward?" Sophie asked with her dimples showing. Edward looked at me and I nodded my head.

"Bella, whose truck is in the driveway?" I heard Nicholas ask as he entered the kitchen. Before I could answer his eyes set on Edward.

"Oh…you…"Nicholas said dryly.

"Nicky…" I said in a warning tone.

"It's fine," Edward assured. I told everyone to sit down for breakfast and Nicholas did not look happy with him being here. Sophie, on the other hand, asked him a million questions. My brain screamed at me that I should stick to what I told him yesterday, but everything else in me was begging me to take a chance.

* * *

**_Posting this again makes me remember how much I love them!_**

**_Hello to new readers and welcome back to old ones just here to re-read for the thrill._**

**_Please leave a review seeing that FFN pulling the story means I lost all the reviews this story originally had!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	5. The Swan

Twilight and the twilight characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing but Sophie, and Nicky as well as any new characters not related to Twilight. The plot is mine as well as any out of character personality traits, and original characters.

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_The Swan_**

**_Chapter 5_**

It had only been six hours but I already felt like I've been at work for the last twenty-four hours. I don't know why it appeared to be so busy today, but everyone in Seattle had to have come into the coffee shop today.

Another customer approached the counter and I put on my best smile.

"How can I help you?"

"I'd like a medium coffee," the woman said.

"Decaf or regular?" I asked.

"Regular," she replied.

"Anything special?" I asked knowing some customers preferred their coffee a certain way.

"Is this to go or are you going to have it here?" I suggested.

"Oh no, nothing special, and to go," she replied. I nodded my head and picked up a paper cup. I walked over to the coffee pot and poured the hot coffee into the cup. Then I picked up the creamer.

"Oh, no. Milk. I hate cream," the woman said before I poured cream into the cup. I placed the creamer back on the counter. I placed her cup on the counter and walked to the refrigerator and took out the milk.

"Could you please warm up the milk before you pour it into the coffee?"

"You want me to warm up the milk?"

"Yes, that's what I said," she replied in a snarky attitude. I inhaled a deep breath and prepared to warm the milk up. Once the milk was warm, I poured it into the coffee. Then as I scooped up the sugar, the customer stopped me.

"Splenda, not sugar," she told me. I swear this woman was seriously pushing my buttons right now. I poured in her damn Splenda, then put the top on the cup. I handed it to her just wanting her to leave.

"Anything else?" I asked, hoping she said no.

"Is this fresh coffee?" she asked, holding up the cup I handed her a moment ago. I didn't feel like dealing with this.

"It was made an hour ago," I answered. I watched the woman's face as she looked down at the cup as if something would jump out from it. I just knew she was about to ask me to make a fresh batch. We would be closing in the next hour and the last thing I wanted to do was waste coffee by making a new batch for one person.

"Then I'd like a tea instead," she told me, handing the cup back to me. I took the cup and made her an order of tea. I just wanted the woman to go so that my day could be over.  
Once everyone was gone, we began to clean up.

"Do you still need me to open on Monday?" Lauren asked, as she started the dishes.

"Yeah, I have to meet Nicholas and Sophie's teacher that morning," I answered, wiping off the tables.

"Why couldn't they make the appointment for after school?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I feel like everyone just wants to make my life harder," I said, inhaling a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," Lauren said, and I looked up at her. She smiled at me.

"Over the months I've worked here, I added to your stress. I'm sorry. I'll help out as much as I can to make it all easier on you," Lauren said, and I was actually speechless.

"Don't look so surprised, Bella, I know I can be a bitch but I'm not heartless," she continued and I smiled at her.

"Thank you, Lauren," I replied. We finished cleaning and then locked up for the day. I waved bye to Lauren then climbed into my car. Before I started the car, I instantly checked my phone for any messages or missed calls.

A smile touched my lips when I saw that I had a text message from Edward. I would deny it if anyone asked, but I was seriously enjoying having him around. He came by the house and fixed anything that needed fixing, and talking to him was never boring.

**_I never took you for a Charmed fan, but now I have a good idea what to get you for your birthday. ~E_**

I laughed. Today's question he asked about myself was, what is my favorite television show. I smiled as I sent him a text.

**_You probably don't even remember my birthday, old man. ~B_**

I replied, knowing I told him my birthdate months ago. Of course, then I omitted what year I was born but he didn't ask.

**_September 13th and it's not nice to call people names. What are you up to? ~E_**

I couldn't resist the blush that touched my lips.

**_I'm in the car getting ready to pick the kids up from school.~ B_**

**_Are you still going to your mother's studio today? ~E_**

**_Yeah, Angela's going with us. ~B_**

**_Good. Drive safely. ~E_**

I replied with a smiley face. Today, I was taking Sophie and Nicky to our mom's art studio. I hadn't been to the studio since she died, but I promised Sophie and Nicky we would take their paintings to her studio.

Angela offered to go with us. She claimed it was to see my mother's paintings, but I knew it was her way of keeping an eye on me. I left the coffee shop and drove to the school. I arrived just on time, like I've done for the last few days. If I even started to run late, Lauren closed and I was out the door.

"Ella, I got an A on my spelling test!" Sophie yelled, as she climbed into the car.

"Me, too! Look!" Nicholas said, showing me the test. I took it from his hand as he closed the passenger door.

"This is really great guys! You know what this means?"

"Target!" they both yelled making me laugh. A good grade in school meant a trip to Target for them to pick the toy or in Nicky's case, Nintendo DS game of their choice. I laughed watching them buckle their seatbelts as I prepared to pull away.

"Did you get your paintings from your teacher?" I asked them. I watched them through the rearview mirror as they pulled their paintings from their book bags. Angela texted to let me know she was already on her way to the studio. I pulled off and listened to them tell me about school.

It didn't take me long to arrive at the studio. I honked at Angela, seeing her sitting in the car and she waved at me. I parked in the garage and the three of us climbed out.

"Ella…" Sophie called to me, and I looked down at her face. I could see fear and worry in her eyes.

"It'll be fine," I told her and she nodded her head. We walked around the front and saw Angela waiting for us.

"You guys ready?" Angela asked. Sophie nodded her head taking my hand and Nicholas put on a brave face. I unlocked the door to the studio and the alarm went off. Quickly, I walked over and entered the alarm code which was my parent's anniversary date. I hit the lights and we all stood there as we looked around.

"WOW!" Sophie said, looking up at a tall sculpture that sat in the middle of the room. Slowly I walked over to it and ran my fingers across it. I remember helping my mom with this when I was younger. I liked playing in the clay.

"Bella, did mommy paint this?" Nicholas asked, looking at a painting that sat against the wall. I walked over to it and squatted down in front of it.

"Yup, see that right there?" I asked, pointing at her signature.

"It looks like a bird?"

"It's a Swan," I told them. My mom's signature was _The Swan_. It was the way she kept her professional life and personal life separate. Only a handful of people knew my mother was _The Swan_ and she liked it that way.

"That was how she signed everything she created," I told them.  
Nicholas ran his little fingers over the signature. I stood back up and looked around the studio some more. Looking down at her table I saw that she must have been working on something new.

"You okay?" Angela said, walking over to me. I nodded my head and continued looking around. I stopped when I saw a painting of me and her. I had never seen this one before. I kneeled down and looked at her signature. I knew she put the date she completed a painting under her name.

_February 8, 2011._

I inhaled a deep breath as I fell back on my heels. She finished the painting two days before she died. Two days. I remembered talking to her and she told me she had a surprise for me. It was why she wanted me to come home that weekend.

"Bella," Angela called to me and I just shook my head. I couldn't talk right now. I looked at the picture and instantly felt the tears. I don't know how long I sat there but I eventually got up from the floor.

"Bella, is that Sophie and me?" Nicholas asked, pointing to a painting that sat high up on the shelf. I remembered when she painted that picture. Sophie and Nicky were only about five months old and dad tried telling her there was no way they would sit still for her to paint them. So, she waiting until they fell asleep.

"Yup, want to know something funny?" I asked, and they both nodded their heads.

"You see how it looks like someone is holding the two of you?"

"Yeah," they both answered.

"It was dad," I told them, and they both smiled at me then looked back at the picture. Just then I heard the studio door open. I looked to see two women come in. One looked to be a little older than me and the other must have been her mother; they looked so much alike.

"Hello. I didn't mean to disturb you," the older one said with a smile.

"Um, it's no problem, can I help you?" I asked, walking over to her.

"I hope so. Is this the studio of the artist _The Swan_?" she asked.

"Yes, it is but…"

"Oh, thank god, see Alice I told you her studio was here in Seattle…." she said, turning to the other woman, then she looked back at me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, I'm Esme Platt," the older woman said, holding out her hand. I shook it with a smile on my face.

"…this is my daughter, Alice," she told me, motioning to the young woman standing behind her. I shook her hand next and she gave me a warm familiar smile.

"What can I do for the two of you?"

"Well, I am an art collector, art admirer, whichever. Anyway, about a year ago we sent a request to finally meet _The Swan_ in person, to make her first in-person debut at the 50th Washington Art Exhibit Dinner gala. The issue is, we never received a reply and the exhibit is tonight. I've come by every day and my daughter tried telling me maybe I got my facts wrong and this wasn't _The Swan_'s studio, but I just knew it had to be. I'm rambling, I'm sorry. I'm just so excited; I mean I've been a fan of _The Swan_ for years," she told me. I opened my mouth to speak, then snapped it shut. I looked behind me to look at Angela and she looked down at Sophie and Nicholas.

"Hey, why don't you two go play with some of the paint in the back," Angela told them. They both looked at me and I nodded my head for them to go ahead. They ran to the back room and I turned back around to Esme and Alice.

"Oh, are you _The Swan_? It would be brilliant if it came from such a beautiful young woman," Esme said with a smile on her face.

"Um, no, I'm Bella Swan. _The Swan_ is my mother."

"Oh, well is she here? Would she see us?" Esme asked. I started to chew on my lip just as Angela came over to stand next to me.

"Mrs. Platt…"

"Esme, please," she told me. I nodded my head and inhaled a deep breath.

"Esme, I'm sorry to tell you this but she died over a year ago." Her and Alice's face dropped in shock. Esme's hand flew over her mouth looking completely distraught.

"I-I…I had no idea."

"She didn't want the public to know who she was, to keep my sister, brother and myself safe from the curious media. So when her death happened, no one knew it was her. I didn't even think to let the art world know. I mean, I just had so much to deal with and…"

"…Oh dear, you don't have to explain. I am so so sorry for coming in here like some insensitive woman," Esme said, cutting me off and pulling me into her arms. I was surprised how comfortable I actually felt in her arms. She pulled me from her to look at me.

"I have to let everyone else know. Would you mind if I had a memorial in her honor at the gala tonight?" she asked me.

"It's last minute. You really don't have to change the entire gala."

"Oh please, it will be no trouble to me at all. Please, I won't do it unless you are comfortable with it."

"Um, yeah, that would be great. She loved painting and sculpting," I answered with a smile on my face.

"Bella, it would be wonderful if you could attend the gala tonight. I mean I know it is last minute, but it would be wonderful if you came to represent her," Alice said, speaking for the first time.

"That's a brilliant idea!" Esme exclaimed.

"I-I don't know. I don't have anyone to watch the kids…"

"I'll do it," Angela said as if it was nothing.

"Angela..."

"What? I was going to say you should go, too. You could even take some of her paintings no one's ever seen. We both know she would want you to go Bella," Angela said, and I looked down at my feet.

"I don't know. I don't even have anything to wear to something like this," I continued.

"You look to be the same size as me, and I have more than enough clothes I haven't worn yet. I could have some dresses sent to your house and you could pick through them," Alice said, eagerness all in her eyes. I looked at Esme and Angela and they both wore the same expression.

I ran my fingers through my hair and looked up at the ceiling, only to see my mother looking back at me. I swore, even in death, she was telling me what to do. I smiled up at the ceiling portrait she painted of her and my father. It was the first thing she did when she got this studio. I looked back at Alice, Esme and Angela.

"Okay, I'll go."

"YAY!" all three of them yelled, making me laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TDG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Bella, I don't see what the big deal is with asking Edward to go to the gala with you," Angela said as she curled my hair. Already, I was starting to regret agreeing to go.

"Angela, can we drop it, please…" I said, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She rolled her eyes and continued to curl my hair. I heard the doorbell ring and I instantly felt butterflies in my stomach. I knew that it was probably the guy Alice sent with the dresses.

"Ella, door!" Sophie yelled from downstairs.

"Coming!" I yelled back, looking up at Angela.

"What if the dresses are hideous?" I asked her, and she shook her head with a smile on her face.

"I doubt that very much. Alice didn't give me that sort of vibe.''

"Oh, here you go with your vibes," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, don't knock them. Now, go ahead and answer the door," Angela said, placing the curling iron on the dresser. I got up and walked downstairs. I opened the door to see a man standing there with three large garment bags and a suitcase.

"Mrs. Swan?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me," I said, feeling weird being addressed that way.

"Ms. Alice said she hopes you love the dresses and she cannot wait to see which you choose," the man said, handing me the garment bags and the handle to the suitcase. I took them into my arms and thanked him.

"Should I give you a tip or something?" I asked and he smiled.

"No, Ms. Alice took care of that. Have a nice night ma'am," he told me, then walked away. He called me ma'am. I was twenty one! I wasn't anybody's ma'am. I closed the door and then headed back upstairs. I entered my room and Angela's jaw practically dropped.

"What did she do, give you her entire closet?" Angela asked and I laughed.

"I know, right! This is just ridiculous," I said, placing the garment bags on the bed. One by one I opened them and each garment bag held three gowns. Running my fingers over the fabric I smiled.

"I feel like Cinderella."

"Only Cinderella didn't refuse a prince," Angela said, unzipping the large suitcase and revealing four boxes of shoes. I sat down on the bed starting to feel overwhelmed.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know if I can do this, I mean Ang, what if they want me to speak and…"

"Bella, breathe, all right? You can do this because you are the bravest person I know. If they ask you to speak you tell them how completely awesome Renee was," Angela told me and I smiled.

"Why can't you go with me?"

"Because I have to babysit for you, remember? I'll be here when you get home and we can sit up all night and talk about the stuck-up people we both know will be there," she joked and I laughed.

"Wow, Ella, are you wearing this dress?" I heard Sophie ask. I turned around to see her looking at a green, one-shoulder gown.

"Do you think I should wear that one?" I asked her.

"Yeah, it's really pretty," she said, smiling up at me.

"Then it's decided, I'll wear that one," I told her and a huge grin spread across her face.

"Okay, come on, we have to finish your hair and makeup," Angela told me. Sophie watched as Angela did my makeup and hair. Then she helped me into the dress and I was surprised at how well it fit. The split hidden on the side of the dress made it much sexier than it appeared at first glance.

"You look really pretty, Bella," I heard Nicholas say from the bedroom door. I turned around and smiled at him.

"You really think so? You're a man and I need your honest opinion here," I told him, and he smiled blushing as he nodded his head.

"Yeah, you look beautiful," he said. I walked over to him and placed a kiss on his forehead. He yelled yuck wiping my lipstick away. I knew he hated being around all women pretty much every day. He would never say it because according to him, he was supposed to protect Sophie and I.

"Okay, I think I'm ready to go," I said in shaky breath, as I looked at myself in the mirror. I almost didn't recognize myself. I couldn't remember the last time I put on makeup, just then the doorbell rung.

"Who the hell could that be?" I asked looking at Angela.

"I have no idea," Angela lied. I could tell her sneaky ass was up to something.

"What did you do, Angela?"

"Me? I didn't do anything," she lied again. I inhaled a deep breath and headed downstairs with everyone close behind me. I opened the front door only to be face-to-face with Edward Cullen in a tux. I slammed the door back in his face making Sophie and Nicholas laugh.

"Angela, I should kill you!" I yelled.

"Hey, don't get mad at me, you wouldn't do it, so I did it for you," she replied, walking down the rest of the steps and opening the door.

"Sorry about that Edward, Bella apparently forgot her manners," Angela said with a smile on her face. I was pissed, well I was and I wasn't.

"I-I could leave if…"

"No! Don't you dare leave, she's just being stubborn," Angela said pulling him into the house. I inhaled a deep breath and glared at my best friend.

"Angela, could I talk to you, now!" I sneered. I started walking towards the kitchen not giving her a chance to reply.

"We'll be right back," I heard Angela say. I walked into the kitchen and felt like I was about to completely lose it.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, entering the kitchen.

"What is wrong with you? I told you I didn't want him to go with me," I said.

"And I know bullshit when I hear it," she snapped back at me. I sat down on the kitchen stool and she came over and sat down next to me.

"Look, Bella, I know that your first focus and priority is Nicky and Sophie, you give everything you are to the two of them. I'm not saying that's not great because it is, but if you don't start doing things for yourself there will be nothing left for you to give to anyone especially them," Angela told me.

"So you think going out with Edward would be doing something for me?" I asked.

"Have you seen him in a tux, or do we need to go get your eyes checked?" she replied and I laughed.

"You know I forgot how much of a pain in the ass you are," I said nudging her shoulder.

"I love you, too, now go and have fun please," she told me. I stood up from the stool and nodded my head. I walked back towards the living room and saw Edward talking to Nicholas about the game he was playing.

"Do you play video games?" Nicholas asked him.

"Don't tell your sister, but I have my own Xbox 360 at home," Edward replied and Nicholas laughed. I cleared my throat and Edward quickly stood up straight.

"Busted!" Nicholas said with a laugh.

"All right you two, get going. You can't be late; Bella you are the guest of honor after all," Angela said, practically pushing us out of the door.

"Bye, Ella, have fun!"

"Bye, Bella! Edward have her home by midnight!" Nicholas yelled making us laugh.

"Ella, can you bring us home some cake?"

"Yeah, chocolate!" Nicholas yelled, and I laughed promising them both I would.

"Be good for Angela."

"Well duh, Ella, she knows where you hide the junk food," Sophie told me and I laughed. I gave them both a hug then thanked Angela, who rolled her eyes and told me to stop thanking her.

Edward walked me to his car and opened the passenger door for me. I blushed instantly as I climbed into his car. I had to keep myself from moaning at the feeling of how soft the seat was.

"Comfortable?" he asked, holding the door open.

"Uh huh," I answered, as if I didn't have a larger word in my vocabulary. He smiled, then closed the door and came around to the driver side. I leaned over and unlocked his door. When he climbed in, he was laughing.

"What's funny?" I asked, sitting back in my seat.

"My father once told me if a woman leaned over and unlocked your door for you after you held the door open for her, she was a keeper," he told me, and I was sure I blushed scarlet. He started the car and looked over at me.

"So where to?"

"You don't know where we're going?" I asked trying not to laugh.

"No, Angela just texted me from your phone and said to get over here at seven and to have on a tux," he told me, and then we both started laughing.

"Christ, that is just like her to do something like that," I said shaking my head.

"No complaints here, I get to spend the evening with you now," he replied. I looked down into my lap and tried to keep my head together.

"Well, we're going to the Washington Art Gala, it's at…" I stopped talking because Edward broke out into laughter. It was the hardest I've ever heard him laugh and it was infectious.

"Why are you laughing now?" I asked him, and he turned the car off.

"Okay, before I say what I'm about to say, I swear I had no idea about any of this, okay?"

"Um, okay?"

"For the past two months my mother has been trying to talk me into going to this gala, but I refused because well, I didn't have a date."

"You couldn't get a date?" I asked in disbelief.

"Not the woman I wanted to be my date," he replied and I smiled.

"Anyway, she calls me again tonight and says that she met a beautiful young woman today she wanted me to meet. She said she was the daughter of the artist she's been looking for. I don't know why I didn't put it all together, but I didn't think anything of it. I told her I wasn't in the mood to meet any more of her colleagues' daughters and that I would rather sit in the house all night. Then Angela texted me," he told me, and I was certain my jaw probably hit the floor.

"Esme is your mother?" I asked, feeling completely dumbfounded.

"Yup, my sister Alice was more than likely with her," he added, and I nodded my head.

"But she said her last name was Platt," I then cursed myself. It was completely possible he had a different last name than his mother.

"She uses Platt for work; it's her maiden name. Esme Platt Cullen," he told me. I shook my head once again feeling like the universe was playing a serious trick on me.

"This is just crazy."

"Who are you telling, want to know something even crazier?" he asked and I looked over at him.

"What?"

"I have a sculpture in my house that was done by your mother," he said, and I laughed.

"You told me she was an artist, but it never occurred to me that she was _The Swan_," he continued, and I shook my head. I was starting to think _The Swan_ was the one really behind all of this.

We sat there in silence for a while, probably both thinking about how bizarre it was that everything happened this way. Edward eventually started the car and we left for the gala.

"Are you nervous?" he asked. I nodded my head looking out of the window. We stopped at a red light and I felt his hand on mine. I turned around and looked at him.

"I'm here for you," he told me. I smiled looking down at our joined hands, then back out the window. We pulled up outside of the huge art building and it looked like something for movie stars. My door opened and I looked over at Edward. He just nodded his head and got out on his side. I climbed out of the car and looked around me. It was amazing.

I looked over at Edward, watched as he handed the man his car keys. Edward walked over to me with a smile and held his arm out to me.

"Shall we?" he asked. I smiled taking his arm as we began walking up the steps.

"I haven't told you this, though I've been thinking it since the moment I saw you tonight."

"Told me what?" I asked trying to focus on not stepping on the gown.

"That you look absolutely breathtaking, and I am the luckiest man in the world to be accompanying you tonight," he answered. I looked up at him to see if he was serious and from what I could tell, he was.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he said with that gorgeous smile on his face. When we finally reached the door, Edward opened it for me and I walked inside. Once again the beauty of the place was leaving me completely speechless. Edward held up his arm and I took it with a blush touching my lips.

As we walked, I noticed art that looked like my mother's. Some I recognized and others I don't think I ever saw before.

"Oh, Edward dear, you made it, and you've met Bella!" I heard Esme say as she approached us. Edward released my arm to give her a hug and a kiss on her cheek.

"Actually mom, I already knew Bella."

"No kidding?" Esme asked, looking between the two of us.

"No kidding. Edward comes into the coffee shop where I work," I told her, then felt like I shouldn't have said that.

"I knew when you said your name, you had to be the Bella he wouldn't stop talking about," I heard Alice say from behind me, and I turned around to look at her.

"You look amazing, Bella," she said placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you for the dresses, I'll send them back…"

"…oh, please keep them. They would have only collected dust in my closet. Plus, you may find use for them yet," she said, looking over at Edward, who was apparently blushing. He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled at Alice.

"You look beautiful, little sister."

"Why thank you, big brother," she replied twirling in her gown. I laughed watching them.

"This is just amazing, I couldn't have planned this better if I tried," Esme said. Then she took my hand into hers.

"Come sweetheart, you must meet my husband, Carlisle," she said, pulling me to follow her. I looked behind me to see Edward and Alice following close behind us.

"Carlisle, Carlisle sweetheart," Esme called, and I tried to follow where she was calling to. Then I see an older man with blond hair beginning to walk over to us.

"What is it dear?" he asked.

"This is Bella," she said with a huge grin on her face. A huge smile spread on his face as he took my hand into his.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Bella. I am so sorry to hear about your mother, I am a huge fan of hers," he told me.

"It's nice to meet you, too, and thank you, she would have loved to hear you say that," I replied. A man's voice came on over the microphone asking everyone to have a seat.

"Oh, here is our table," Esme said. Carlisle pulled out her chair and then pulled out Alice's chair.

"Here you go," Edward said. I blushed seeing he had pulled out my chair. I took my seat and tried to relax the butterflies I felt in my stomach. The table was quiet and that only made me even more nervous.

"Bella, tell us about yourself. Are you in school?" Carlisle asked, and I shook my head no.

"I work at a little coffee shop where I just was made manager," I said.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Esme said, and I was feeling like I was blowing it. I mean I don't know why I felt like I needed to impress them.

"Bella is raising her sister and brother," Edward said. I looked over at him and he gave me a reassuring smile.

"Your father…"

"…died the same night my mother did," I replied, cutting Carlisle off before he could continue.

"Oh my god, my poor girl, we are deeply sorry for your loss," Esme said, taking my hand into hers. I tried holding in my tears as I nodded my head.

"It's just the three of us now, but we're making it," I said, and felt Edward take my other hand into his.

"Bella, if we could ever help in anyway, please just ask," Alice said. It amazed me they wanted to help and they didn't even know me.

"Please ask. It is amazing what you are doing for them. It is amazing the strength you are showing. Your parents, obviously raised a wonderful young woman," Carlisle told me and I blushed.

"Thank you," I told him. I couldn't look at anyone, I felt like everyone was feeling sorry for me right now and I didn't want that.

"Mom, Bella likes the musical 'Mamma Mia'," Edward said. Esme's face lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July.

"Oh, I love that musical! You have to come with Alice and I to see it when it comes to Seattle," she told me and I laughed nodding my head.

"Sure, I'd love to, but I can't go without Sophie, she'll never forgive me," I told them.

"Oh yes, we can make it a whole girls' day out!" Esme said, and that made me smile. Then I thought about Nicky, I hated the idea of leaving him out.

"If you don't mind, I can take Nicky to a game or something that day," Edward whispers in my ear and I turn around to look at him.

"You don't have to."

"I want to," he replied. I could feel it with everything in me, I was going to fall hard and there was no net to catch me. Esme was called to the stage and she winked at me before going up.

"Hello everyone! I am happy to see everyone yet another year," she said. I tried listening to her, but I could feel Edward's hand on my knee under the table. He was making it really difficult to focus on anything but his hand resting on my knee. His thumb making little circles,

"I'll stop if you want me to," Edward whispered into my ear. I shook my head no and he gently squeezed my knee. I was completely out of it until I heard Esme say my name and the sound of applause surrounded me.

I looked up probably like a deer caught in the headlights. Edward stood up from his seat and held his hand out to me. Placing my hand in his, I stood slowly. Edward walked me to the stage and I walked up the steps.

I looked back at him, my nerves practically killing me. He winked at me and I blushed yet again tonight. I walked over to Esme and she took my hand into hers.

"Thank you…" I started and Esme adjusted the microphone for me. I smiled at her then started again.

"Thank you everyone, on behalf of my mother, my father, myself, my sister and my brother.

Losing my mother wasn't easy but having her artwork makes us feel like we still have a piece of her with us," I said into the microphone.

"In her honor, I have some of her art to share tonight," I continued, as they brought out the pieces Sophie, Nicky and I agreed to share. I explained each one and before I could finish I was crying. I hated that I was crying in front of complete strangers.

Edward was up on the stage in no time pulling me into his arms. I could hear Esme talking and explaining to everyone how we had lost both our parents.

I pulled myself together to share the last painting. I explained it the way I remembered her explaining it to me. The applause I received after was surreal. Edward and Esme walked me back to the table. Alice and Carlisle got up from their seats both giving me a hug.

The rest of the gala went on without a hitch. There was dinner, dancing and they even had a little bit of an art auction. Despite people trying to purchase the art I shared with them, I denied every offer. I couldn't bring myself to part with any of it.

"Will you dance with me, Bella?" Edward asked standing up. I smiled up at him but shook my head.

"I don't dance."

"Not even for me," he said with that smirk. I laughed taking his hand as I stood up. He took me out onto the dance floor and pulled me close to his body. Bruno Mars, Talking to the Moon began to play and I smiled.

"Are they really playing, Bruno Mars?" I asked. Edward laughed looking down into my face.

"Their artist, they know good music when they hear it," he replied and I shook my head placing it against his shoulder. He pulled me tighter against his body and I felt safe.

"Edward, I'm surprised to see you here. Your mother said you weren't coming," I heard a feminine voice say. Edward's arms slowly released me and I turned around to see who was speaking to him.

"Hello, Tia," Edward said, and I could tell by the sound of his voice he was not pleased to see her. The way she looked at me did not go unnoticed. I knew when I was being sized up by another woman.

"Is Carmen in town?" she asked with a little smirk on her face. I turned to look at Edward and saw the irritation on his face.

"You would know better than I would," Edward replied in a sneer. I looked back at her and she smiled.

"Hi, I'm Tia Scott," she said, introducing herself.

"I'm Bella…"

"…yes, I know who you are," she said cutting me off.

"What do you want Tia?" Edward asked, taking my hand into his.

"Nothing, I just wanted you to know that I was here," she replied. I was seriously starting to feel like I was missing something here. She walked away without another word toward us. I turned around and looked up at Edward.

"Am I missing something?"

"She's my ex-wife's best friend," Edward told me, running his fingers through his hair. I felt a little blindsided. He was married before? I hadn't ever let a guy get past third base and he had already been married and divorced.

"You were married before?"

"Bella, I was going to tell you. I just…"

"…it's fine. I mean I have no right to get upset. Excuse me, I have to use the ladies room. I'll be right back," I told him and started to walk away before he could stop me.

The moment I walked into the bathroom I tried to pull myself together. This wasn't a big deal, so what, he's been married. It wasn't like we were a couple, hell I still didn't know what the hell we were doing.

I heard a toilet flush and then the stall door opened. I groaned seeing it was Ms. Tia Scott. I saw her smile at me in the mirror as she walked up to the sink.

"Bella Swan, how did a little minx like you meet Edward?" she asked, washing her hands.

"He comes into the coffee shop where I work."

"Coffee shop, seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," I replied, not liking the tone of her voice.

"Has he told you about Carmen?" she asked, now drying her hands.

"His ex-wife…"

"Try current wife, sweetheart. They're still married," she said then walked out of the bathroom without another word.

_Still Married!_

_They were still married!_

My heart was somehow racing and breaking all at once. I knew he was too good to be true. Too perfect, I needed to leave while I still had some dignity. Quickly, I left the bathroom and tried heading for the exit.

I looked behind me to make sure Edward didn't see me, when I turned back around I walked right into a sculpture.

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled, rubbing my forehead. I swore there was nothing in front of me a second ago. I looked at the sculpture and instantly recognized it as one of my mother's.

"Bella, are you all right?" I heard Edward ask from behind me. I turned around to look at him and he instantly held my face between his hands as he looked at my forehead.

"You're going to have a bump on your head, come sit down," he told me, taking my hand. We walked over to the nearest table and I sat down feeling a little dizzy.

"Were you getting ready to leave?" he asked, as he held my face in his hands.

"You're still married to her," I said rather than asked. I saw the surprise in his face from my outburst. He didn't say anything right away, he just looked at me.

"Well, are you or aren't you?" I asked.

"Technically, yes I am…" he said, and I quickly stood up from my chair and prepared to walk away.

"…but Bella, we are in the last stages of the final divorce, I swear," he said, holding onto my hand. I wanted to walk away. I should have, this was already too much. I had enough on my plate, but I couldn't walk away.

"Bella, Carmen is my ex-wife. There is nothing between us and I mean, absolutely nothing."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked, not turning around to look at him.

"I've been trying to get you to give me a chance for the last few weeks. Do you think we would have gotten this far if I started by telling you I was in the middle of a divorce?" he asked me. I knew he was right. I would have taken that and ran with it. I would have used it as the perfect way to stop whatever it was, this was.

I turned around to look at him and saw the worry in his face. Was he really scared that I was about to walk away? He stood up from the chair and held my face in his hand.

"Bella, I want you and I mean that more than just physically. You are the most amazing woman I've ever met in my life and I want to be there for you. I want to help you with Sophie and Nicholas, and in any other way possible. I know you said you didn't want to date anyone, but I'm not going anywhere, I'll wait until you're ready," he told me.

"Edward I couldn't ask you to…"

"You're not asking me, I'm telling you."

"What about your wife?"

"Ex-wife. When I was away that week, I was meeting with her and the lawyers. I wanted to tell you when I came back but you didn't want to talk to me. Then when we finally did talk, I saw how huge the brick wall was around your heart and knew I would lose you before I even had a chance if I told you about her then," he said. I placed my hand on my forehead feeling dizzy.

"Here, sit down," he told, me pulling me back down into the chair. He sat across from me and started to ask me questions about my head. I assured him I was fine. The sculpture wasn't the first time I walked into to something.

"If you want, I will take you home and never bother you again," he told me, and I shook my head. I didn't know exactly what I wanted but I knew I didn't want that.

"Bella, are you all right?" I heard Alice ask, and I looked up to see her standing over us.

"Yeah, I was just being clumsy and walked into a sculpture," I told her. She smiled and looked at Edward. It was like they were having some private conversation. Edward looked behind him and I followed seeing that he was directing Alice to Tia.

"I'll take care of her," Alice said, and I knew that was meant for Edward.  
She looked back at me when she said, "I hope you're all right Bella. I would hate it if you had to leave."

"I'm fine. I think I'll stay," I said looking at Edward. He smirked at me squeezing my hand in his.

"Yay, that's great. Now, I'll be right back. I have to go tend to the trash," she said walking away. I watched her walk over to Tia and I have no idea what was said only that a now pissed-off Tia was leaving and giving me an evil glare when she walked past us.

"If you're up for it, I think you still owe me a dance, we were rudely interrupted," Edward said. I smiled looking up at him from under my lashes.

"Are you sure you want to risk your feet?"

"If it means I get to hold you, I'll risk anything," came his reply. He was much too good at this. He stood up first, then helped me up from the chair. We walked back out to the dance floor and he pulled me against his body.

I looked up at him expecting some part of this to not to be real. He smiled at me and I felt his hand on my face again. His thumb moved over my cheek slowly as he looked into my eyes. He wanted to kiss me, I could see it in his eyes, feel it in his touch.

I inhaled a shaky breath and placed my hand on his cheek. Then on impulse I rose up on my toes and placed my lips against his. It was soft, simple. He pulled my face against his and gently nibbled on my bottom lip.

Breaking the kiss, I blushed looking at him, then I placed my head against his chest as we continued to dance. As much as I wanted to fight whatever was happening, I knew that higher forces were working to make it happen and I was a solid believer one of those higher sources was none other than my mother, _The Swan_.

* * *

**_Sneaky little Swan..._**

**_Please leave a review please!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	6. Lightning Strike

Twilight and the twilight characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing but Sophie, and Nicky as well as any new characters not related to Twilight. The plot is mine as well as any out of character personality traits, and original characters.

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Lightning Strike_**

**_Chapter 6_**

Standing in the kitchen I watched as the rain fell against the windowpane. It had been raining for the last twenty-four hours, but today had to be the worst. The rain was heavy, the wind was wild, and I wouldn't have been surprised if we received a hurricane warning.

I wasn't surprised about the weather. We did live in Washington, which was known for being one of the wettest states in the continental U.S plus it was spring. I looked at the clock and noticed that I hadn't heard from Emily yet.

Today was her annual monthly visit, I was secretly hoping the weather would keep her from coming out. All she would honestly do was ask me a lot of questions, then she would ask Sophia and Nicholas questions. They hated it just as much as I did.

"Ella, can I have oatmeal for breakfast?" Sophie said standing in the kitchen doorway. I placed my cup on the counter and turned around to look at her.

"What kind do you want?"

"Peaches and Cream," she replied sitting down at the kitchen table. I started on her oatmeal and Nicholas entered the kitchen a moment later.

"What do you want for breakfast, Nicky?"

"Bacon."

"…okay, what else?"

"Just bacon," he said placing his head on the table.

"You can't have just bacon, Nicky."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not good for you," I told him pouring the warm milk in Sophie bowl and mixing the oatmeal.

"Then why do we eat it, if it's not good for us?" he asked. I walked over to the table and placed Sophie's bowl in front of her.

"It's okay to eat it, but you can't eat it all the time and you should balance it out with something that is healthy."

"Like what?"

"Like, a fruit salad," I answered and he made a face.

"I hate fruit salad."

"Since when?"

"Since now," he replied. I rolled my eyes and walked over to the refrigerator. I opened the door to see what we had inside. Then I spotted toaster strudels in the freezer.

"How about you have toaster strudels instead?" I asked, knowing he could never say no to toaster strudels. He smiled at me and I knew we had a winner. I popped them into the toaster just as the house phone started to ring.

Looking at the caller I.D. I saw that it was Emily.

"Hello, this is Bella," I replied as I answered.

"Bella, I know that we were supposed to have our meeting today, but this weather is so ridiculous," she said into the phone.

"So, are we rescheduling the meeting?"

"No, because technically we couldn't without it setting you back a week and I know you don't want that."

"No, I don't, so what do you want to do?"

"We can do this over the phone; I'll talk to the children first," she said. I looked over at them and gave the phone to Nicholas first since he wasn't eating yet.

"Hello, Ms. Emily," Nicholas said into the phone dryly. After his toaster strudels popped up out of the toaster, I placed them on a plate and then in front of him. I hand them both a cup of milk, then walked out into the living room so that I wouldn't hear them talking to her.

I never wanted them to feel like I was crowding them when they talked to her, just in case they ever wanted to tell her something they didn't want to tell me. I sat in the living room waiting for what felt like forever before Sophie came into the room and handed me the phone.

"Hello," I breathed into the phone feeling nervous.

"Relax, Bella," Emily said and I smiled.

"As always the kids sung your praises. You know I just like to talk to them, to hear from their mouths how they are doing," she tells me.

"Yes, I know," I replied. She started asking me questions about how they were doing in school and how we were doing. Her questions were always the same and she didn't surprise me when she asked about Angela. I was confident the conversation was about to end until she asked,

"Who is Edward Cullen?"

"Who?"

"A Dr. Edward Cullen, the kids says he's been around the house lately," she replied. I inhaled a deep breath.

"He's a friend," I answered. For some reason I felt like I was lying. Was Edward more than a friend?

"The kids sound like they are happy to have him around," she told me.

"Really?" I asked thinking about Nicky.

"Yes, does that surprise you?"

"No, no. It's just that he isn't usually around the kids and…"

"…relax Bella. I've told you before I am on your side in all of this. I just figured I would ask because the kids mentioned him," she told me.

"Oh. Yeah, he's been helping out around the house."

"I'm really happy you have more supporters around you, Bella. It makes me even more confident about you being able to raise them."

"Thank you, Emily," I said smiling. It meant a lot hearing that from her, because ultimately she was the one reporting to the judge if she thought I was capable.

"Only one more year, Bella and then we can put this chapter of madness behind us, all right?"

"That year feels really far away."

"Think about how quickly the first year went, this next one will breeze by," Emily said. We finished up with the basics and then she told me when the next meeting would be. I knew that there would be some off schedule visits but they never worried me. I hung up with her and went into the kitchen.

Sophie and Nicholas were playing thumb war, meaning they were trying to get something from the other one.

"I win!" Nicky yelled a second later.

"That's because you cheated," Sophie said falling back against her chair.

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not, you sore loser!"

"You're a loser you cheater-mick-cheater pants!"

"Bedwetter!"

"Wheezy dumb dumb!"

"All right! That's enough!" I yelled unable to take the screaming anymore.

"He started it!"

"She started it!" they yelled at the same time. I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I don't care who started it, it stops NOW!" I told them. They both glared at each other then looked back at me.

"Apologize for the name calling."

"But, Ella he called me a bedwetter," Sophie said.

"Both of you apologize," I said, pointing at the both of them just as the doorbell rung.

"Who the hell could be at the door in this weather?" I asked, starting to walk out of the kitchen. I stopped at the archway and looked at Sophie and Nicholas.

"Apologize, or so help me the two of you will be cleaning the floors with a toothbrush."

"Sorry," they both said and I walked out of the kitchen to go answer the door. I swung it open, and an involuntary grin spread across my face. He seemed to have that effect on me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still wearing my smile.

"If I remember correctly I promised to come and take a look at your washing machine."

"It is the worst storm of the season and you came out in it to come and take a look at my washing machine?" I asked. He gave me this lopsided grin I was starting to notice meant that he had other plans.

"Hi, Edward!" Sophie yelled standing next to me.

"Hey, Sophie."

"Are you here to fix something again?" Sophie asked him.

"Yeah, your sister said that the washing machine wasn't working and…"

"Yes it is, Ella you washed our clothes yesterday," Sophie said. I slapped my hand over her mouth a second too late.

I may have lied about the washing machine to get Edward to come over, but I had no intention of telling anyone that. I felt like complete crap now, knowing that Edward traveled through this storm just come fix something that wasn't broke to begin with.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I was going to call you and let you know you didn't have to come out," I said then began to chew on my lip.

"It's okay, I wasn't busy anyway. I leave my Sunday's free…" he told me. I felt like he was about to say something else but changed his mind.

"You're not leaving are you, Edward?" Sophie asked. I was actually grateful she asked because I didn't have the courage to do so myself. I wanted him around. I wanted him, but I honestly I was afraid of just what that would mean.

"Well, if there is nothing for me to fix, I guess I should go before it gets any worse," he said looking at me as he spoke. I was prepared to let him leave. It was for the best. I didn't want the kids getting attached to him and then one day he just up and left because it was all too much.

BOOM!

"Ah!" Sophie and I yelled as the thunder rang loudly in the sky. It was so loud it made a few car alarms go off. Inhaling a deep breath I took that as a sign.

"Edward, you should stay, at least until the storm is over," I told him. I saw the surprise on his face.

"Are you sure? The weatherman said…"

"…please. I would really feel better if you stayed," I said, cutting him off. He smiled at me just as a bolt of lightning filled the sky. Edward walked into the house and I closed the door behind him.

"What is he doing here?" Nicholas asked with his arms crossed over his shoulders. I doubted more and more that Nicky said anything good about Edward to Emily.

"Edward is staying with us!" Sophie said, taking Edward's hand into hers. Nicholas looked at me in horror.

"Just until the storm is over," I said quickly. Nicky glared at Edward then walked upstairs.

"I'm sorry about him, really."

"No worries, it's good he's so protective of the two of you. You're the most important people in his life," Edward said, and I smiled.

"Not me, he doesn't like me," Sophie said, pulling and spinning on Edward's arm.

"I doubt that, I'm a big brother and sometimes my sister gets on my nerves but she's my best friend," Edward told her. She smiled up at him showing off her missing tooth.

"Really? Do you think I'm Nicky's best friend?"

"Yeah, I bet he tells you all his secrets."

"Yup, even some Ella doesn't know," Sophie said smiling at him.

"Sophie, do you want to play the Wii with me?" Nicholas said coming back down the steps. Sophie turned around and looked at him.

"What are we playing?" she asked

"Mario Kart."

"I'm the princess!" Sophie yelled, finally releasing Edward's hand and running into the living room. Nicholas walked down the steps and stopped in front of Edward. He looked at him for a long time then then spoke to him.

"Hi, Edward."

"Hi, Nicholas," Edward replied. With that Nicholas walked towards the living room. I shook my head and looked up at Edward.

"Did you have breakfast?" I asked, for some reason actually wanting to cook for him.

"Just a coffee and bagel," he replied, running his fingers through his hair. I nodded my head and started walking into the kitchen.

"Are you sure my being here isn't a problem?" Edward asked walking behind me. I turned around and he walked right into me almost knocking me off my feet. Quickly his arm wrapped around me holding me up. We looked at each other neither of us saying a word. I couldn't.  
It was something about his eyes that left me speechless the moment I looked at him. I could feel his fingers sort of burn into my back as he held me.

"I'm sorry," we both said finally speaking. I laughed and reluctantly stepped out of his arms.

"It's fine that you're here, really. Nicky is just being stubborn."

"It must run in the family," he replied. I looked at him in mock shock.

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing, you need help cleaning the kitchen?" he asked, pointing at the pile of dirty dishes.

"That would be very nice of you."

"Nice is my middle name," he said rolling up his sleeves. We started on the dishes in silence. It was always so comfortable being around him. I wondered what he was thinking when we didn't say anything to each other.

"What is your middle name?" he asked.

"Uh?"

"Your middle name, you do have one don't you?" he teased, and I rolled my eyes and focused on the dishes in the sink.

"Yes, I have one, I just don't like it," I said, handing him the plate I just finished washing.

"I'm sure it can't be that bad, what is it?" he asked.

"Marie," I answered.

"That's not bad,"

"I don't like it because I'm named after my mother."

"Wait, uh?" he asked and I realized I never told him that Renee wasn't my biological mother. I cut off the water and turned around to look at him.

"Renee isn't my biological mother. She married my father when I was eight," I told him. I saw the surprise on his face as he leaned back against the counter.

"My mother, Marie, ran out on my father and I when I was six. I don't remember much about her, only that she left and never came back," I said feeling the mixture of sadness and anger.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

"I'm not. I'm happy she ran off. If she didn't, I wouldn't have ever got to know what it felt like to be loved unconditionally by a mother. Renee may not have been my biological mother but she is the only mother I've known," I said twisting the dish rag in my hand.

"You never saw Marie again?"

"I saw her once when I was sixteen. I never told my dad and mom they would have lost it because there was a court order for Marie to stay away from me," I said placing the dish rag on the side of the sink.

"The first thing I asked her was why did she leave, and do you know what she said?" I asked him, not turning around to look at him.

"That her boyfriend didn't do kids, so she had to go, then turned around and said she needed money to bail her old man out and wanted to know if I had any money," I answered, not waiting for him to respond.

"When she left us she was still married to my father when she had this so-called boyfriend and she chose him over us, over me! I'll never put Sophie and Nicholas through anything like that. I'll never be anything like her," I said feeling the tears in my eyes.

Quickly, I wiped at my face cursing myself for once again saying too much. I could never just shut up when I was around him. Some part of me just wanted him to know everything there was to know about me.

"Bella," he called to me but I didn't turn around. I couldn't look at the pity I was afraid sat in his gorgeous hazel eyes.

"Bella," he called to me again turning me around. I looked down at my hands and he lifted my face.

"Look at me, Bella," he said cupping my face in his large hand.

"You are nothing like her. Just from the little you've said about her I know you are more of a woman and mother than she ever was. Is that what you're afraid of, that you'll forget about them?" he asked and I nodded my head.

"You'll never let that happen and neither will I," he replied. I inhaled a deep breath and pulled out of his arms again.

"I've considered changing my middle name a few times," I told him.

"To what?"

"Anything other than Marie," I joked trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm sorry for killing the mood…"

"…don't be sorry. I want to know everything about you, Bella."

"Even the parts that make me broken."

"Yes, because maybe I can help fix those broken pieces," he replied. Looking into his eyes I just knew that someone in the universe sent him my way. Then like a little bug flying around, his marital status popped into my head.

He was a married man.

I removed his hand from my face and turned back to the sink. I started washing the dishes again then stopped and looked at him.

"Why do you always say stuff like that as if you aren't still married?" I asked, whispering the married portion of that question.

"…Because in my mind and heart I am not married to her anymore. We are in the last of the negotiations and then it will finally be over."

"Don't rush anything because of me, if…"

"…Bella, my marriage to Carmen was over way before I ever laid eyes on you. She's been trying to drag out the divorce for her own selfish reasons. I've had enough and told my lawyer to grant her whatever she wanted as long as it meant she would finally sign the papers," he informed me.

"She probably still loves you."

"Love was never an emotion Carmen could feel, and it doesn't matter what her reason is in prolonging the divorce. I don't want to be married to her anymore."

"Just like that, you don't love her anymore?" I asked. He inhaled a deep breath pulling at his hair.

"It didn't happen overnight, it was a mess of issues between Carmen and me. The number one being that we got married for all the wrong reasons."

"I don't want to be the reason why…" he cut me off with a kiss. I melted into him as he pulled my lip into his mouth. I moaned and his tongue slipped into my mouth. It was like fire as my body started singing his name. Slowly, he ended the kiss pulling away from me.

"You are not the reason I am divorcing Carmen, you're the reason I want live again," he said in a deep voice. My heart was practically beating out of my chest as I looked at him.

"Ella, can you and Edward come play Mario Kart with us?" I heard Sophie ask. Pulling my eyes away from Edward I looked over at her.

"Yeah sure, but I get to be the princess."

"Aww man," she said walking out of the kitchen. I looked back at Edward and he looked nervous. I wanted to ask him what he meant about me being the reason he wanted to live again.

"I'll tell you later," he said as if he could read my thoughts. I nodded my head and we both walked into the living room. We played Mario Kart for about an hour before everyone got tired of me kicking their butts at the game.

Next we played Rock band. It was boys against girls and sadly Nicholas and Edward kicked Sophie and my butts. I have no idea we played games on the Wii but it was the most fun I could remember us having in the house in a really long time. Somehow we managed to go through every Wii game we owned.

"Maybe we should play something else?" Sophie said putting the Wii remote away. We all agreed as Nicholas put up everyone's remote. We tried to decide on a board game but we couldn't seem to agree on anything.

"How about Uno?" Edward asked, and Sophie and Nicholas both yelled _no_. I started laughing at the look on Edward's face.

"I'm sort of the queen at that game," I told him with a smile.

"Uno? It's a game of chance how are you the queen at it…"

"Because I'm awesome."

"I don't believe you've never lost."

"Believe it, I never lost," I replied daring him to try me.

"I bet I could beat you," he said sitting back on the couch.

"Oh really? If I win you have to go outside and dance in the rain," I told him and he grinned at me.

"What do I get if I win?"

"If you win, I'll bake a cake for dessert tonight," I replied. I knew saying that would get Sophie and Nicky on Edward's side, even if Nicky didn't want to be. I couldn't say why, but it was really important to me that Nicholas warmed up to Edward. At the moment Edward was the only male role model around other than Billy.

"…and you have to dance in the rain and yell, Edward beat you at Uno," Nicky told me. My jaw practically dropped as I looked at him. All three of them looked very pleased with this wager so I inhaled a deep breath.

"Fine, but when Edward loses, you two have to go out in the rain with him," I said pointing at Sophie and Nicholas. They both laughed then turned to Edward.

"You have to win," Nicholas told him. Edward nodded his head.

"Don't worry, your sister will be singing in the rain," Edward told him. Nicholas smiled and I rolled my eyes. I got up and retrieved the deck of Uno cards. We set everything up on the floor and I started to shuffle the cards.

"So, do you want to play the classic way or…"

"Any way you want to play pretty lady, you just get ready to go dance in the rain," Edward replied with a smug smile on his handsome face. I started to deal and Sophie snatched the cards out of my hand.

"I'll deal!" she yelled.

"Fifteen cards," Nicholas told her.

"Fifteen?" I asked wondering what happened to the standard seven.

"Yeah, we have to make it a challenge for you," Nicholas told me. Sophie finished dealing the cards and then she and Nicholas both sat next to Edward. We agreed to play penalty, which meant if he placed a draw two or draw four cards and I held the same card, I could place it on top therefore making him draw the cards instead.

The game started with Edward playing a card first. I tried not to laugh as the three of them huddled together as if to figure out what to play next. I played my card and waited for them to play. Edward put down a draw four card and I groaned because I wasn't holding one.

I drew four cards from the pile ignoring the smiles on their faces. Next, Edward discarded a red five. We went back and forth for about four cards and then I placed down a draw two. Edward grinned, placing another draw two on top of it.

"Nice try," I replied, placing another draw two on top of his. He looked at Sophie and Nicholas then back at his hand.

"I sure hope you have another draw two or you'll be drawing eight," he said, placing another draw two down. I cursed under my breath and Sophie and Nicholas started laughing. I drew eight damn cards from the pile and Edward played a skip then an eight.

I was so ready to get that smug look off his face. I played a draw four and he groaned picking up four cards. Then I played another one and Sophie and Nicholas both groaned out _aww man_. We went back and forth like this for at least forty-five minutes. I'll admit I was letting the game drag out.

When I called Uno because I had one card left Sophie and Nicholas both looked nervous.  
In one token I was a little hurt my sister and brother wanted me to lose so badly, but on the other hand I loved that they were really rooting for Edward. Edward played a wild card and called yellow as the color.

Now between you and me, that would mean I was out. I was holding a yellow four, but instead I pretended I didn't have it and picked up a card from the draw pile. I pretended I didn't hold a yellow card and told Edward it was his turn.

"I win," Edward said, playing a yellow six and Sophie and Nicholas both started screaming and giving each other and Edward high fives. I tossed my cards face down and stood up from the floor.

"There's a first time for everything," I replied.

"Ella, you have to go dance in the rain," Sophie told me with a grin on her face. I smiled at how much she looked like our mother.

"Yeah, and don't forget to scream, Edward beat you at Uno," Nicholas reminded me. I started towards the door and Edward stopped me.

"You don't really have to go out in the rain, Bella."

"Yes, she does!"

"Yeah, she said she would," Sophie said.

"See, I have too, plus I am a woman of my word," I replied walking away. I could hear Sophie and Nicholas behind me as I opened the front door. I swear the moment I opened the door it started to rain harder.

"No chickening out, Ella."

"Yeah, you made a deal."

"I'm not chickening out, now be quiet," I told them. I inhaled a deep breath and then ran for it while yelling.

"Edward beat me in Uno!" I could hear Sophie and Nicholas laughing at me as I spun around in a circle. The rain came down all over my face and I honestly forgot how much fun it was to play in the rain. I kept spinning until I slipped on the grass falling flat on my ass.

I fell back laughing as the rain continued to pour down on me. Then it felt like it stopped. I opened my eyes to see Edward standing over me holding an umbrella over the both of us.

"You're going to catch a cold out here."

"But it's so much fun," I said still laughing. He smiled at me as he reached his hand out to take mine. For some reason when he took my hand I swore a jolt of electricity shot through my entire body. He must have felt it too because his eyes were large.

I let him pull me up from the ground and just then thunder boomed loudly making me flinch against him. Slowly ,I looked up at him realizing I got his shirt all wet now.

"Sorry," I said and he shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, let's get you inside and out of these wet clothes," he said, and I nodded my head but didn't move.

"If I didn't know better I would think you wanted to dance in the rain."

"You beat me, it was part of the bet remember," I said smiling at him.

"No, you let me win Ms. Yellow four," he replied and my jaw dropped.

"How did you…?"

"I checked your discarded cards," he replied as we started to walk back into the house.

"Well as far as they know, you beat me fair and square," I told him. We walked back into the house and Nicholas and Sophie started telling me how funny it was watching me in the rain.

"I'm going to go upstairs and shower and change into some dry clothes," I said and the way Edward's jaw tightened did not go unnoticed to me. I headed upstairs and heard Nicholas tell Edward that they should go play basketball in the basement. I smiled because it sounded as if my plan had worked.

"I'm referee!" Sophie yelled. I went into my room and pulled out a change of clothes. I took a quick shower then changed into a pair of jeans and a tank top. I went back downstairs and could hear them all the basement playing basketball.

I decided to start dinner early while they played basketball in the basement. We played so long on the Wii that we completely missed lunch. As I cooked I watched out the window as it only seemed the storm was getting worse.

I checked the drawers for flashlights and made certain that each of them had fresh batteries. Sophie was completely terrified of the dark and I knew if the lights went out I was going to have to make sure we had working flashlights.

I started on dinner as well as the cake I promised. I smiled listening to them down in the basement laughing and playing. Eventually they came upstairs and I assumed it had to do with the smell that was filling the house.

"You three have fun?" I asked as I started to set the kitchen table. Sophie came over and took the silverware and started to place it next to the plates.

"Yeah, Edward showed me how to pass behind my back," Nicholas said with excitement. I smiled at Edward.

"That's cool, but I could have showed you that," I joked.

"Yeah, right, you can't even bounce a ball," Nicholas replied laughing. I walked over to him and started to tickle his sides.

"Edward, help!" Nicky yelled. Apparently Edward was Nicholas' new best friend. Edward lifted me from the floor and Nicholas and Sophie both started laughing.

"Put me down," I said. Edward lowered me back on the floor but held me pressed against his body.

"Do you agree to leave Nicky alone?" Edward asked, then in my ear he added "…because I would really hate to punish you, well I wouldn't really hate it." I turned in his arms and looked up at him. The lopsided grin appeared on his face once again. I knew Sophie and Nicholas were watching us, so I put on my best smile and replied.

"Yes, I promise not to mess with Nicky…" then I leaned in closer to his ear when I added.

"…but I can't say the same for you." I stepped out of his hold loving the look on his face. We finished setting the table and then I made everyone's plate. We sat down and Sophie told Edward he had to say grace because he was the guest.

We joined hands and Edward said grace blessing the food, each of us and even added in our parents. It was definitely winning brownie points with the kids, and with me.

As we ate dinner, Sophie and Nicky starting telling me about the spelling bee they had in class tomorrow. Edward and I went back and forth testing them on words. Just as I was about to ask them another word, thunder filled the house making the walls shake. It was followed by a bright lightning bolt and then blackness.

"Ella, I'm scared," Sophie said. I reached out for her in the dark and pulled her into my lap.

"Is it a blackout, Bella?" I heard Nicholas ask.

"Yeah I think so," I answered. A moment later a bright light started to fill the room and I noticed it was Edward's cell phone.

"Do you have flashlights?" he asked, and I directed him to where I kept them. He got up from the table and retrieved the flashlights passing them out to each of us. Sophie kept hers close to her chest.

Edward looked out the window when he said, "It looks like the entire block went out."

"That's just great, it's probably going to take forever for the power company to get out here," I said, getting up and placing Sophie in my chair. I walked over to Edward and looked out the window too. The entire block was pitch black, you could hardly make out anything. There was a knock at the door making Sophie scream.

"Were you expecting someone?" Edward asked me and I shook my head. He walked towards the door and I told Sophie and Nicholas to stay in the kitchen.

"Who are you?" I heard Edward ask.

"Who are you?"

"I asked you first…"

"Where is Bella?" the voice asked and I recognized it now as my neighbor Jacob. I rushed to the door and quickly ducked under Edward's arm.

"Hey, Jake," I said. He looked at me then back at Edward.

"Hey, Bella, I just came to check on you and the kids. You know with the lights going out and everything," Jake said looking at Edward then me again.

"We're fine, thanks."

"Are you sure, the three of you could come to my place until the lights come back on."

"They're fine," Edward answered before I could respond.

"I wasn't talking to you."

"I don't care who you were…"

"Oookay, guys why don't we all just relax. Jake we're fine really. Thanks for coming to check on us," I told him. He looked at Edward again then back at me.

"All right, I'm just next door."

"I know," I replied wanting him to go. He turned around and put his umbrella up as he headed back over to his house. I pushed Edward back into the house and shut the door.

"What the hell was that about?" I asked him.

"Did you see the way he was looking at you?"

"What? He wasn't looking at me in any kind of way."

"Yeah, and my name is Harry Potter," Edward replied. I swear if I didn't know better Edward was jealous. The thought made me blush.

"Jake is a happily married man, if you were paying attention you would have seen his wife standing on the steps next door," I told him. Edward looked at me with a little surprise on his face. I smiled and headed back into the kitchen.

Sophie and Nicholas were sitting at the counter picking at the cake. I placed my flashlight on the both of them and they froze.

"You two are so busted," I said laughing. We ate the cake and ice cream since I didn't want it to melt in the freezer. I had no idea how long the electricity would be out. Once we finished eating Edward suggested we play flashlight freeze tag. I never heard of it but Sophie and Nicky were all for it.

We ran around the house like crazy people screaming and laughing. I was surprised Sophie was even playing seeing that it meant she would have to run into dark rooms. The moment I spotted one of them yawn it was bedtime.

I ordered them upstairs to take a bath and Edward said he would clean the kitchen for me. I tried telling him he didn't have too, but he said I cooked so it was only fair. I took the battery-operated lamp I had from my dorm room and placed it in the bathroom while Sophie and Nicky took turns washing up. Once they finished I got them both in bed and hit Sophie's night light, which, because I'm a smart and awesome big sister, was also battery operated.

"Ella, I think Edward is really cool," Sophie said getting under her covers."

"Yeah, he's really good at basketball," Nicholas added.

"He thinks the two of you are really cool too," I told them.

"He likes you too, Ella."

"How do you know that?"

"…because he makes goo-goo eyes when he looks at you," Sophie replied and I laughed.

"He does not."

"Does too," Sophie said with a yawn.

"Bella," Nicholas called to me. I looked over at him and saw him sitting up in his bed.

"He told us he liked you a lot, and that he wanted to know if we would share you with him," Nicholas told me. I was honestly speechless. I wasn't sure how I felt about Edward saying that to them. Part of me felt like I may have been falling harder for him, while another part of me wanted to tell him he was crossing a line.

"Wh-what did you tell him?"

"That he has to prove he is good enough for you first," Sophie said, as if it was nothing. I smiled at the two of them.

"I told him I would kick his butt if he hurt you or tried to take you away," Nicholas told me, and I laughed. I placed a kiss on the top of both of their heads and told them to go to sleep. I walked downstairs and was about to head towards the kitchen.

"I'm in here," I heard him say from the living room. I walked into the living room and saw him sitting on the couch. I cut off my flashlight seeing that he lit some candles.

"Are they all tucked in?" he asked. I nodded my head coming over and sitting down next to him.

"You know, you'll probably be spending the night, it's still raining cats and dogs out there," I told him, watching the flame move on the candle.

"If it makes you uncomfortable I could…"

"I didn't say that…" I replied cutting him off. We smiled at each other and I fell back against the couch. We sat in silence for a little while and then I remembered what he said to me earlier today.

"What did you mean when you said I was the reason you wanted to live again?" I asked turning my body towards him. He smiled at me then took my hand into his.

"I knew you were going to ask me about that?"

"Have you ever tried…you never tried to, you know kill yourself, have you?" I asked chewing on my lip. He shook his head.

"Not in the way you are thinking."

"I don't understand," I replied.

"I'm going to tell you something that only my parents and Alice knows."

"You don't have to, that's private and…"

"No, I want to share this with you," he said cutting me off. I nodded my head and turned around on the couch so that he was facing me.

"When Carmen and I got married it wasn't because we loved each other but because it just seemed like the next step we were supposed to take. We dated all through college, and moved to New York together, our parents wouldn't quit the marriage talk so we got married," he began. I wasn't sure how I felt about hearing a story about Carmen his _wife_.

"…from the moment we got married everything started to go wrong. She was one of those high society types. Titles and money meant everything to her. She was a lawyer, I was a doctor, the ultimate power couple, but I wasn't happy. So after a year of marriage I filed for a divorce, but then she said she was pregnant and begged me not to break up our family. My father raised me to never walk away from your family without fighting like hell first, so we went to see a marriage counselor," he continued, and I was started to feel uncomfortable.

They had a child together?

"…Marriage counseling lasted all of two months, she was afraid her friends were going to find out. Anyway I was excited about the baby. I couldn't wait to be a father. Thinking about it now, I should have known something was wrong but I was too excited. Somehow her doctor's appointments always fell on days I was doing doubles at the hospital so I missed each appointment. She never wanted me to touch her stomach, said it made her uncomfortable," he went on. I saw the sadness in his eyes and it was literally breaking my heart. I cupped his face in my hand.

"What happened to the baby?"

"There wasn't a baby," he said, and I felt something wet touch my finger and I knew it was a tear. Many times he had wiped my tears so tonight it was my turn to do the same for him.

"She faked the entire damn thing; she was never pregnant. She faked a miscarriage when she was eight months. Of course being a doctor something just wasn't adding up to me. So I started snooping around and found out everything. She was fucking some doctor to get him to lie for her, she wore a fake pregnancy stomach, she looked me in my face every night and lied. And for what, so that she could say she was the wife to Edward Cullen, so she could climb some social ladder," he sneered. I could hear the anger in his voice.

"Edward, I am so sorry."

"I filed for divorce again and shut down after that. I mean completely shut down. I worked and went home. I started working around the clock just to avoid having to see her face. Being a lawyer and knowing just how much I was worth she started making my life hell. She wouldn't just give me the divorce. Ripping out my heart wasn't enough; she wanted to clean my wallet too."

"She's a bitch for what she did to you, Edward."

"When I met you, I was instantly attracted to you, but I was so sure all women were the same. But you proved me wrong, you made me want to do more than just go to work and go home. You made me want to live again. That first day I came into the coffee shop I was there for my father, to this very day I thank him for sending me to pick up his coffee. Every day following I came into that coffee shop wasn't for coffee but to see you," Edward told me and I smiled. All this time I considered him my reason to smile when I went to work and it never occurred to me I was doing the same for him.

"I meant it when I said there is nothing between Carmen and me, Bella. Our marriage was over way before I moved to Seattle."

"She never deserved you," I said before I even thought about what I was saying. But I didn't care, it was the truth she didn't deserve him.

"And you damn sure didn't deserve the way she treated you."

"Bella, I care about you, and I don't just mean as a friend. I can't pretend that I don't and I don't want to pretend like I don't…"

"Edward…"

"Let me finish. I am not saying we have to rush into anything I know you're not ready for. I just want you to know that I'm here not just for you but Sophie and Nicky too."

"What is this? Us?"

"We don't have to label it, we'll just let everything happen as natural as it feels. If we are only meant to be friends, that is what we will be, but I am here for you no matter what, Bella," he told me, and I could never tell you what came over me but I kissed him. Not a peck like I did the night of the gala, but I mean I really kissed him.

Holding his face between my hands I pulled his bottom lip into my mouth. He groaned wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his lap. I pushed my fingers into his hair as I felt his hands move over my back. Opening my mouth, I allowed his tongue access and moaned when our tongues touched.

I felt like I was saying everything I couldn't say out loud in this kiss, only I didn't even know what I was trying to say. His tongued massaged mine, and then he gently sucked it into his mouth. Fisting his hair I pressed my body tighter against his making him moan.

His hand traveled up my back until he was holding the back of my neck. He tilted my head and kissed me deeper, passionately. When he released my mouth, he started placing kisses along my neck. When his tongue swirled over a spot behind my ear I moaned louder. It felt so good I thought I was going to faint.

"Breathe, Bella," I heard him whisper against my ear. It wasn't until he said that I even remembered to breathe, I hadn't even noticed I stopped breathing. He let go of my neck and his hands started to travel under my shirt. Feeling the tips of his fingers on my skin made me shudder.

"Are you cold?"

"Quite the opposite," I replied, having a hard time focusing on anything other than his fingers on my skin and his tongue on my neck. Then it was gone, his hands, his tongue, it just stopped. I looked at him.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because if I don't now, I won't be able to," he replied, his fingers moving over my arms.

"What if I don't want you to?"

"Don't say things like that, Bella. I have very little control around you as it is," he told me. His confession made me blush.

"Nothing physical will happen between us, until you are mine and I am officially yours," he informed me, and I was both disappointed and completely flattered all at the same time. I leaned into him and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Do kisses count as nothing physical?" I asked hoping he said no. As much as part of me still wanted to run, everything else in me was begging for him to be in my life. To take away the shadow that seemed to haunt me. He was going to be the one to change that, I knew it and it scared me.

"No, kisses do not count. I could never keep from kissing you, I'm afraid I'm addicted to your mouth," he told me, letting his tongue trace my lips.

"Thank god!" I said fisting his hair and kissing him again. He laughed which soon ended when our tongues touched again. We made out like nothing I ever experienced in my life. Each kiss was tender, but passionate. Soft, yet still took my breath away. The lights cut back on blinding us and we both laughed, as I still straddled his lap.

Looking down at him and into his hazel eyes I knew that lightning wasn't just striking outside but it struck my heart starting the beginning of my walls being demolished. Edward was making his way in, brick walls be damned.

* * *

**_Bye Bye Brick Walls_**

**_Please leave a review please!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	7. Open Window

Twilight and the twilight characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. I own nothing but Sophie, and Nicky as well as any new characters not related to Twilight. The plot is mine as well as any out of character personality traits, and original characters.

**_To new readers tissue warning_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Open Window_**

**_Chapter 7_**

"Bella, are you sure you're up to doing this today?" Angela asked again for the hundredth time. I pulled the door to the coffee shop closed and locked it. I waved bye to Lauren as Angela and I walked to her car.

Today I was finally cleaning out my parents' bedroom. After talking to Sophie and Nicky, I knew it was time for the two of them to have their own room. I knew that my parents had planned on them having their own room by now. The house only had three bedrooms. My dad used to always talk about building me a little apartment over the garage, once they gave Sophie my old room.

I wasn't completely sure about cleaning out my parents' room, but it needed to be done. Angela and Edward offered to help me so I knew I wouldn't be doing it alone. The moment Angela told Mrs. Weber what I was doing, she told me she would pick Sophie and Nicholas up from school and take them to the movies.

"If I don't do it now, I won't ever do it," I finally answered climbing into the passenger side. Angela climbed into the driver side of the car and closed her door.

"When was the last time someone has been in the room?"

"When Billy sent those guys who clean up after a crime scene. I couldn't bring myself to go into the room. I was so grateful all my parents' legal papers were in my dad's office or that the lawyer had them already."

"What exactly do you want to do with all of their things?"

"Save what we can for Sophie and Nicky…"

"…and you too," Angela added. I nodded my head in agreement. "What do you want to do with the rest of it?" she asked and I pushed my fingers into my hair.

"I want to hold on to all of it. Some part of me thinking it would be like holding on to them, but I know that wouldn't be best. We'll take the clothes to the Salvation Army, and the furniture to a shelter?" I said regretfully, and noticed it sounded more like a question than me telling her that's what we were going to do with it.

"Is that what you want to do?" she asked. I nodded my head.

"They would want me to give it away to people who need it instead of letting it all collect dust in the garage."

"Then that is what we will do with it," Angela said holding my hand. I nodded my head and she started the car. For whatever reason, my car wouldn't start this morning. So Angela agreed to play chauffeur today. Edward mentioned he would take a look at my car when he arrived at my house.

I don't know how he managed to be a doctor and an all-around Mr. Fix-it, but he was very handy to have around. Angela turned the radio on and we sung along to the music. When we drove up next to another car the driver looked at us like we were crazy because we were singing off key. Then, Justin Bieber's new song _Boyfriend _came on. Angela turned the music down some and I groaned already knowing what she was about to ask me.

"You told me the night of the storm you and Edward came to some agreement, so does that mean he is your boyfriend?"

"No, we're just friends."

"Friends? Sweetie, I'm your friend and I've never left a hickey on your neck," Angela said, and I playfully hit her arm.

"Hey, no abusing the driver, and you know I'm right," she replied laughing. I shook my head with a smile on my face. I knew she was right. Edward was much more than simply my friend.

What he was exactly was still a puzzle.

"We're not putting a title on it."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"All right fine, since the two of you are going to be stubborn about this and not call it what it is, I am going to refer to him as your beau," Angela said. I looked over at her, my brow raised.

"My beau?"

"Yes, that is what a man was called when he was courting a woman, and that is exactly what is happening between you and Edward right now."

"Ang, we don't even know if it will even become anything."

"So you think not putting a title on it will prevent your feelings from getting involved? Bella, I don't know exactly what happened between Edward and his ex-wife because you didn't tell me, but I've never seen you so protective over anyone outside of those you call family. You care about Edward whether you are ready to admit it or not," she told me. I knew she was right. After the night of the ball, I told her I found out Edward used to be married but I didn't tell her anything else. It wasn't my story to tell.

"Placing no titles will allow him to run for the hills when things become too much. I don't want him to feel obligated to something that is not his responsibility."

"He's not going anywhere, Bella."

"How do you know that?" I asked with much more attitude than I meant to have.

"Because he told me, and I believe him; why don't you?" she replied. I turned to look at her face and saw the seriousness in her eyes. Everyone I ever loved eventually left, whether it was voluntary or not. I was positive Edward would be no different, and I was doing everything I could to keep Sophie and Nicky.

I didn't answer her because I knew what her reply would be. Angela was the only person to come back. I knew my parents would if they could but they couldn't. I turned the music back up and looked out the window. Suddenly this car ride felt a lot longer than I remembered.

We pulled up outside of my house and I spotted Edward's car instantly. Then I noticed him talking with Jacob, and it didn't look friendly.

"Isn't that your neighbor?" Angela asked, pulling into a parking space.

"Yeah, and Edward doesn't like him."

"They know each other?"

"No, not exactly," I answered climbing out of the car.

"Edward!" I called to him. He looked up at the same time Jacob did. Edward smiled at me as I walked across the yard to him.

"Hey, Bells," Jake said grinning.

"Hey, Jake," I replied glaring at Edward.

"I was about to put out an APB on you two," Edward joked, gripping my waist and placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Sorry about that, I took the long way here," Angela says from behind me. I knew that ride home felt longer than usual.

"Were you waiting long?" I asked looking up into Edward's eyes. They seemed to shine in the sunlight, dazzling me.

"No, but Jacob seems to think I was out here too long," Edward said looking over at Jacob.

"I was only concerned for my neighbor's house seeing a strange car sitting outside of it," Jacob replied. I felt my face wrinkle in confusion from his words.

"Strange car? Jake, Edward is here almost every other day. You've seen his car plenty of times; how is it a strange car?" I asked. I heard Angela's light giggle behind me and the proud smile on

Edward's face didn't go unnoticed either.

"I just meant that I've never met him and…"

"I appreciate your concern, but Edward is…" I paused still not sure exactly what to call him. Friend wasn't even enough, but we were not yet a couple. _Yet?_ What was I seriously hoping that we would be?

_Yes._

Even to myself I couldn't lie.

"…Edward is important to me and will be around," I finally answered.

"…for a very long time," Edward added. I looked up at him and smiled. I turned and looked back at Jacob and saw the way he was glaring at Edward.

"I just want to make sure you're not being taken advantage of, or manipulated."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Edward snapped taking a step towards Jake. I pushed him back some.

"Again, I appreciate your concern, Jake, but I'm a big girl."

"Yeah, you're all grown up now. I see that, I just want you to realize so does everyone else."

"Jake, why don't you go home and check on your wife," I replied back in a snippy attitude. I wasn't sure what exactly Jacob's angle was, but he was seriously starting to annoy me. Jacob nodded his head and started walking toward his house. Edward leaned in and whispered into my ear.

"I don't care if he is married, he wants you, Bella. I just hope he knows that I won't be walking away from you without one hell of a fight first," he whispered, then Edward placed a kiss on my temple and started telling me what he thinks might be wrong with my car.

I pretended to listen to him, enjoying the idea of him fighting for me. I didn't mean physically, but the idea that he wouldn't give me up without a fight gave me hope. I watched as he walked over to my car and lifted the hood. I turned to look at Angela who was wearing a grin on her face.

"Your beau looked like he was about to attack poor Jacob," she said, and I laughed heading into the house.

"Jacob has never acted this way before," I said, as Angela followed me into the house.

"Have you ever had any other guys around the house?"

"It shouldn't matter, he's married," I replied, then thought about Edward's situation. I shook the thoughts from my mind and walked into the kitchen to grab some trash bags to take up to my parents' room.

"I think Jake has the hots for you, and somewhere in his little brain I bet he thought he would be able to make his move on you one day."

"If that's even remotely true, he's a pig and I hope his wife takes him for everything he's got," I replied and Angela laughed. My cell rang and I quickly answered, seeing Mrs. Weber's name.

"Hello."

"Just letting you know I have the kids dear, if you need anything else, please don't be afraid to ask," she said.

"I will. Thanks again Mrs. Weber."

"Of course, you know I love you kids as if you were my own. Your parents were two of my closest friends," she said. I knew that was true, the same way I knew that if it wasn't for her on- and off-again fight with breast cancer, she would have taken Sophie and Nicholas without a second thought. She'd beat it twice already, and worried everyday it was going to come back.

"I know, thank you again."

"Of course dear," she replied. We hung up and Angela and I made lunch for the three of us while Edward worked on my car. When he came into the house, both Angela and I laughed at the oil all over his hands.

"What?" he asked.

"You have a little something right there," I said pointing at his face. He touched his cheek smearing oil on his face and Angela and I laughed.

"You two think you're both very funny huh?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything," Angela said still laughing. Edward went over to the sink and started washing his hands. I laughed when he flicked water at me.

"I made you a sandwich," I told him. He smiled at me as he sat down at the kitchen island. The three of us sat there talking. Edward asked Angela to tell him stories about when we were younger. Of course, despite my protest, my best friend just couldn't wait to blab her mouth.

"I have a good one, this one time when we were 15, we were having one of our many sleepovers, right, and we played truth or dare. So I dared her to call her crush, Eric Yorkie," Angela started, and I slapped both my hands over my face knowing what story she was about to tell him.

"She called him and he didn't answer, at least we thought he didn't answer. So we start to talk about how cute he was, and how Bella wanted him to be her first kiss and then we hear this quiet hello, then we heard it again. Only to find out it was Eric Yorkie on the phone. The only thing that saved her from any real embarrassment was that her number was blocked, so Eric never found out that it was us talking," Angela said laughing. I could hear Edward laughing also.

"At least I didn't get caught making out with Mike under the bleachers," I replied and they both started laughing.

"Please don't remind me of that, I still try to drink all the memories of Mike out of my head," she replied and I laughed. We talked a little while longer and it actually made me happy seeing Edward and Angela get along so well.

"Not to change the subject, but are we still cleaning out your parents' room today?" Edward asked. I inhaled a deep breath and nodded my head. I admitted to myself I was stalling a little.

Eventually the three of us headed upstairs to my parents' room. The boxes Edward brought by yesterday were already sitting outside of the room. I stood there in front of the door and just looked at it. I've opened the door a few times, but this would be the first time I've gone into the room. I was anxious and terrified all at the same time. I felt Edward's arm wrap around me.

"Remember, we're here to help," I heard Edward whisper against my ear. I nodded my head and slowly reached for the door. The moment it opened I was hit with the smell of my parents. I thought it was weird that I could still smell them in here.

Together, the three of us walked into the room and I sat down on the edge of my parents' bed and moved my fingers over the sheets. Their room seemed much larger than I remembered. I looked on the nightstand and smiled seeing a picture of my parents together in a frame.

"Where do you want us to start, Bella?" Angela asked. I looked up at her and looked around the room. There's so much all over the room, I knew we would undeniably be in here the rest of the day.

"The drawers and closet, it would be easier to go through their clothes first," I replied. Both she and Edward nodded their heads. I got up from the bed and went to the closet. Everything was easy at first as we started to go through their clothes.

Edward and Angela started with my parents' drawers while I cleaned out their nightstands. They both laughed at me when I screamed pulling a box of condoms from one of the nightstands.

"Apparently, the chief was still putting it down," Angela joked and I tossed the box at her making her scream.

"I prefer to think my parents didn't do that."

"Oh please, remember that night we heard them and…" I picked a pillow up off the bed and tossed it at her head making her fall back on the floor.

"The two of you act more like sisters," Edward said laughing, as he was emptying one of my parents' drawers. Every now and then he would lift something up to ask me if I wanted to keep it.

"Bella is my sister. The not being blood-related is just a minor technicality," Angela replied. I smiled at her agreeing. In one of my father's drawers I found a picture of him, Marie and me as an infant. I assumed we were in the hospital. I always loved how much I looked like Renee, but it was completely shocking how much I looked like Marie.

"Holy shit, is that your real mom?" Angela asked sitting up next to me. I nodded my head then looked up at her and Edward.

"I didn't even know my father still had pictures of her around," I said, looking back at the picture.

"You don't have any of her?" Angela asked.

"No, I didn't want them," I replied. I inhaled a deep breath then tossed the picture to the trash pile.

"Bella, I think you should keep this," Edward said, picking the picture up off the floor. I shook my head _no_ and started going through the drawer again.

"Bella, I agree with Edward, I think you should keep it," Angela added.

"I don't want it."

"Bella…" Edward started.

"No."

"Bella, at least just think about it," Angela said.

"I don't want any memory of her. She's not my mother," I snapped. Neither Edward nor Angela said anything else. I inhaled another deep breath feeling bad for snapping at them.

"I'm sorry, guys. It just…"

"We understand," Edward said giving me his gorgeous warm smile. After we finished with the drawers we started on the closet next.

Angela and I joked about some outfits we remembered seeing my parents wear. I found my father's old sweatshirt. He wore it every Sunday to watch football. I smiled thinking about it, because my mother hated this sweatshirt.

"I think you should keep that one," Angela suggested. I nodded my head agreeing with her. I found a few more things in their closet that I wanted to keep for me, Sophie and Nicholas. The closet was much easier than I expected it to be, at least their clothes were simple enough.

We separated the clothes and shoes for the Salvation Army. Angela was a little OCD when it came to how we were organizing everything. She would fuss at Edward and me if we placed something in the wrong box.

"I think she's a little crazy," Edward whispered in my ear and I laughed.

"Much more than a little," I joked back making him laugh. Once we had all the clothes put away, we started on the boxes that were in the closet. Most were pictures. There were a few with my mom with her family. She never talked to any of them much, when she did, she was usually arguing with her two sisters. I could only remember meeting them three times; my parents' wedding, the night Sophie and Nicky were born and my parents' funeral.

I never knew what the deal was with Renee's family, but I did know the moment they found out she didn't leave anything to them, they never showed up or contacted any of us again.

"Bella, there's four envelopes in here with all of your names on it," Angela says, looking up from the box she was going through.

"Whose names?"

"Yours, Sophie, Nicky and…your mom's," she answered, holding the four envelopes up. She handed me the four envelopes and I instantly noticed the handwriting as my father's. My heart started racing as I looked at them.

"This is my father's handwriting," I said running my fingers over my name.

_Princess Bell_

He called me that all the time when I was a little girl, then upon request he stopped calling me that once I was a teenager.

"What do you think is in them?" Angela asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I have no idea, guess I'll have to open it and find out," I said, placing the ones with Sophie, Nick and my mom's name on them down. I opened the envelope and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. I unfolded the paper and saw that it was a letter.

"He wrote me a letter," I said looking it over. I started chewing on my lip as I looked at it. Front and back, which let me know it was important since my father was not usually a huge talker.

"Do you want us to leave you alone so you can read it?" Edward asked. Quickly, I looked up at him. I couldn't read this alone.

"I would really like it if the two of you stayed," I said. Edward came over and sat down next to me pulling me into his side. Angela laid her head across my lap. I inhaled a deep breath and began reading the letter.

_Princess Bell,_  
_If you're reading this princess, it means that the worst has happened. I honestly don't know how to start this because I have no idea how I will die, or in this case how I died. I know this seems crazy, and no I didn't get some vision and know that this was coming._  
_We'll leave that to creepy Mrs. Cooperbottom…_

I couldn't resist laughing at that. Mrs. Cooperbottom was this old lady who used to live next door to us when we lived in Forks. She would claim she was having visions everyday about dolphins taking over the world. Yeah, I know ridiculous.

_…When my father died when I was in high school, I always wished I had some sort of message from him, something other than that folded flag they give you at the end of the ceremony. So I decided that at the beginning of every New Year I would write you a letter just in case I didn't make it into the following year. Your mom loved the idea, but she doesn't know I wrote one for her too. If I died this year, Soph and Nicky would be too young to read their letters, so mom will hold on to theirs…_

I stopped reading and inhaled a deep breath. Of course, he wouldn't think mom died too, there was no way he would know that. Edward placed a kiss on my temple just as Angela gently squeezed my hand, as if to remind me she was here for me too.

"You don't have to read it out loud," Edward whispered in my ear.

"No, it's okay. It helps," I told him. He nodded his head and I began reading the letter again.

_...I wish I would have made it to see you graduate from college, princess, and grill whatever loser you decided to marry. I wish I could have walked you down the aisle and made sure that your future husband treated you like the priceless jewel you are. From the very moment I knew I was going to be a father for the first time, you were my entire world, Bell. I was so worried when you thought I was going to love you less when I married your mom, but you remembered that I could never love anyone as much as I love my children. I've been proud of you every day of your life kiddo, even when I had to pick you up from that club you and Angela snuck into…_

Angela and I both started laughing, remembering how angry he was when he showed up to pick us up that night.

_…I wasn't too excited about you picking UCLA, but it wasn't because I didn't like the school or that I thought you were making a bad choice. The truth is I was afraid of losing my little girl. Every day I watched you grow up into this amazing young woman and I knew I would have to admit you weren't my little girl anymore. I want nothing but the best for you Bella, so don't you ever give up on what you want out of life._  
_Life can close all the doors it wants on you, just find a window, pry that bad boy open and climb out. When you picked UCLA, despite your mom and me trying to talk you out of it, it was the first time we knew for sure that we had done our job as your parents. You stood up for what you wanted; even the little presentation you gave us was amazing._  
_Don't let my death stop you from living your life, Bell. If anything, learn from it. You only live once, so live it to the fullest. Be as wild and outrageous as your mom, well don't go dancing naked in the rain, damn woman almost gave me a heart attack that night…_

I laughed again. Renee was one of the most free-spirited people anyone could ever meet. Her and my father were like polar opposites one day and then a match made in heaven the next. One day she decided she was going to dance in the rain, something about wanting to know how the rain felt when it fell from the sky, so she could paint it.

_…Life will be complicated, and some days it will feel like the entire world is against you. But remember just because a door is closed doesn't mean you can't climb out the opened window. You were always good at doing that…_

I laughed again; this man was full of jokes apparently. I shook my head and continued reading.

_…I love you Princess, always have, always will. I know that Sophie and Nicky are in good hands with you as their older sister, just make sure that Sophie doesn't cause your mom as much trouble as you caused. And could you do me a favor Princess and break up with that dick Tyler, you deserve much better than him, princess. If you would have let me, I would have kicked his ass when you brought him home last Christmas._

I shook my head with a smile on my face. Dad could call a jerk when he saw one. It made me wonder what he would think of Edward.

_…I don't even know how to finish this because the thought of saying goodbye to you kills me. Let's hope that this ends up like the rest of the letters in the trash at the end of the year. Let's hope that you never see it and that I get to walk you down the aisle, scare the hell out of your future husband and dance our father-daughter dance. But I have to be realistic, I wrote this because my job is dangerous and there is always a chance of me being harmed._  
_I love you, Princess, and I never knew what those words meant until the day you were born. You deserve only the best so don't you ever settle. No matter how many people you feel are against you, no matter how many doors seem to close, look for that opened window, climb out and go after what you want and deserve. I love you, Princess..._  
_Love, Daddy_

I didn't realize I was crying until my tears fell onto the letter. Edward wiped my tears from my face and I leaned my head into him for comfort. Even though tears were falling I was smiling. As heartbreaking as it was to read the letter, I was more than grateful to have it. We all sat there quietly, I knew they were both waiting for me to say something.

"Mom would have loved to know he was quoting her with that opened window saying, she thought he wasn't listening to her," I said, and both Angela and Edward smiled at me.

"I actually forgot about that night he picked us up from that night club," Angela said and I laughed.

"That's because you were drunk after having two wine coolers."

"I was not!"

"Was too! You called my dad, Officer Chief hot pants and then told him you had singles," I told her. Edward and I started laughing as Angela blushed in embarrassment.

"That right there is why I do not drink in public," she said, making me laugh. She sat up and looked at me, her eyes more serious now.

"Are you really okay?" she asked. I nodded my head still wearing my smile.

"Yeah, ironically enough dad was actually right about something. Having the letter made me feel like I got to talk to him one more time."

"I wish I could have met him," Edward said. I smiled as I looked up at him.

"He would have liked you, as long as you weren't romantically involved with his little girl," I replied. Edward smiled at me. Then he lowered his head placing a kiss on my lips.

"…I would have won him over, because there is no way I could only be your friend," Edward mumbled against my lips.

"All right! That is my que to get my ass up and go get those labels from my house," Angela said. I turned away from Edward and looked at her. I could feel my cheeks heating up from my blush as Edward places soft kisses along my jaw.

"Ang, the labels are not necessary we could just…"

"Um, did you not leave me in charge of organizing everything?"

"I did."

"Then shut it and let me do my job. Edward, stop kissing my best friend for a second, get your hot doctor ass up, and put the boxes in my car please," Angela ordered and Edward and I both laughed. He stood up from the floor then helped me up.

"Angela, if you weren't her best friend…"

"…Ah, but I am her best friend, and the only one she'll listen to if you want someone in your corner," Angela told him. I slapped her arm and Edward laughed.

"I'm only teasing the man. He knows I am completely Team Edward, at least as long as he remains being good to you. I just have to keep him on his toes."

"You are outrageous," I told her.

"Maybe, but you wouldn't have me any other way."

"Of course not."

"I could take them to the shelter, Ang," Edward told her.

"No, I want to do it. There is this really cute guy there named Ben, and I am hoping to drop off and pick up, if you know what I mean," Angela said. Edward and I both laughed. He stacked up some of the boxes and took them downstairs. I turned and looked at Angela with a brow raised.

"When was I going to hear about this new guy?"

"It's nothing yet, we just do a little flirting when I'm there."

"I want details."

"I'll give you details, when you give me some. Now, I have to get going."

"I have to pick the kids up from your mom's," I said tying one of the bags.

"I'll get them. Why don't you and Edward enjoy some alone time," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. I shook my head at her. Edward finished taking the boxes and bags out to the car and placed the trash out by our trash cans. Angela climbed in her car and before she pulled off, she yelled out.

"Play nice but don't be afraid to get a little naughty!" I shook my head as she pulled off. I felt Edward come up behind me and place a kiss on my shoulder.

"You know you are the strongest woman I've ever met," Edward said into my ear. I turned around and looked up at him.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," he replied. I looked into his eyes and was starting to feel lost in him once again. Only Edward could render me speechless and give me the worst case of word vomit with a glance. He lowered his forehead against mine, our noses touching lightly.

"I want to take you out on a date."

"Edward, you don't have to."

"I want to, isn't that what a beau does?" he asked with that damn grin on his face.

"Angela told you?"

"Yup, she's Team Edward, remember?" he asked. I laughed feeling my heart race from nervousness. A date would make all this more real, more official in some way. Edward inhaled a deep breath and placed a kiss on my forehead. He stepped back and took my hand into his.

Together we walked back into the house. We went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Silence filled the house as we sat there still holding hands.

"If you're not ready…"

"…it's not that. I-I…should we be pursuing this at all with your divorce not being final, I mean…" Quickly, Edward turned to me holding my face in his hand.

"…my marriage is over."

"I know that, I just don't want us dating to cause any trouble for you. I don't want her to use our relationship as a reason to make this more complicated than it already is…"

"…if she even tries to, I'll reveal every dirty little secret she has. I won't let her dictate when we can be together, Bella. We've been separated, all she has to do is sign the papers," he told me. I knew nothing about divorce but I trusted Edward.

"…why don't you just tell the judge what she did?"

"Pride mostly. I felt like a complete moron that she was even able to trick me the way she did. I'm a damn doctor and my wife tricked me with a fake pregnancy," he said, looking down at our joined hands.

"It's not your fault, Edward. It is no one's fault but hers and she should pay for what she's put you through," I told him, using my free hand to cup his cheek now.

"I was blinded by the pride of being a father that I ignored every damn sign. She claimed she was four months along when she told me she was pregnant. I believed her because I knew the last time I slept with her was four months prior. I didn't question her asking me not to touch her stomach, because she was never big on being affectionate. Everything was a show for her. I touched her stomach five times - five. It was only because we were hosting some party. Each time was never long enough for me to even think to question the pregnancy, plus who would actually think their wife would fake a pregnancy?"

"No one, which is why she needs to pay for what she did to you," I replied. He nodded his head and we sat there quietly again.

"Official date after she signs the papers?" Edward asked.

"Yes, and consider telling the judge. I don't know anything about something like this, but I have to believe if the judge knew about her faking a pregnancy and sleeping with her doctor to cover it up, it would play a huge part in your divorce."

"This is why I can't get enough of you. You're beautiful, sexy, fun, strong, selfless and smart," he said leaning into me. I smiled, placing a kiss on his lips.

"I actually start to believe all of that the more you say it to me."

"Then I guess I'll have to continue telling you every day."

"I'd like that," I told him. He cupped my face and kissed me hard on the lips. I loved kissing him. It was now my favorite activity in the world. The way his mouth moved over mine, and how his tongue massaged mine. He nibbled on my lip, and then pulled it into his mouth. He released my mouth and smiled at me.

"I'm going to talk to my lawyer and the judge, anything to move this divorce forward. You deserve to be treated like the amazing woman you are and be taken out on a date. Since you won't go on that date with me until the divorce is final, I just have to put my pride to the side…"

"You'll do that for me…"

"I'll do anything for you, you'll see," he told me. I smiled and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Something in me told me that Edward was what my mom and dad would consider my opened window, and right there at that moment I decided that I would be his, too.**_  
_**

* * *

**_Super cute!_**

**_Please leave a review please!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	8. Faith is bigger than fear

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Faith is bigger than fear_**

**_Chapter 8_**

May 4th

That was the date and for some reason every year, it was the one day I felt like I could breathe freely. I'm not very superstitious, but May 4th has been my lucky day for as long as I can remember. Even after my parents died, May 4th was the day the judge allowed Nicky and Sophie to come stay with me while he decided how he was going to go about their guardianship.

May 4th was my lucky day.

Now, I just had to hope that today would be no different. Sophie, Nicky and I were having dinner at the Cullen's house tonight. To say I was nervous was a complete understatement. I practically chewed my lip raw hours ago.

When Edward told me that his parents invited us for dinner, I tried backing out, but then Alice and Esme showed up to my job and practically begged me to come. I couldn't tell them _no_. I blamed it on the puppy-dog eyes they gave, but in truth I liked them too much to tell them no.

Part of me felt like this was too soon for them to want me and the kids over for dinner. Edward and I weren't officially anything, so dinner at his parents' house was outrageous, isn't it?

"Bella, did you hear me?" Lauren yelled breaking me out of my thoughts. I jumped and turned to her.

"No, what did you say?"

"I said that the customer would like your special," she repeated. I nodded my head and walked over to the coffee machine. Every May I also made my own special brew of coffee, needless to say I loved the month of May.

I made the cup of coffee for the customer, then handed it to him with a smile. He left his tip and walked out of the coffee shop.

"Bella, how long have you been making that special?" Mike asked. I had completely forgotten that he was here, observing Lauren and I. I rolled my eyes before turning to him.

"I guess since I got here. I made it for your mom one day and she suggested I serve it to the customers," I replied.

"So, why not make it all year round?"

"Because, it leaves the customers to have something to look forward to; it's our own little special. Sales begin to drop when it gets warmer outside and this special helps to keep it up," I replied. He nodded his head but I could tell he wanted to change it. Thankfully, this was one area

Mrs. Newton had given me complete control over.

"I think we should sell it year round."

"Well, I don't think we should."

"I'm in charge now and…" I blocked him out. Whenever he knew he wasn't going to get me to do what he wanted, it started off with him saying, _I'm in charge now,_ he was really starting to get under my skin. I had half the mind to call Angela. Whenever she came to the coffee shop, Mike disappeared faster than lightning.

"…Mike, your mother said that I have control over _my _special. This means if I do not want to make it year round, I don't have to," I said cutting him off.

"Then Lauren will make it," he replied back, as if he had the answer to everything.

"I don't know it. Only Bella knows it," Lauren inferred, wiping down the counter. He glared at me and I smiled. The bell that was over the front door rung, letting us know a customer entered, and I turned around to see it was Edward.

The grin on his face exploded as he looked at me and I couldn't resist smiling back at him. My entire body feeling like it was on fire as I looked at him. He approached the counter and I instantly leaned in feeling this need to get closer to him.

"Afternoon beautiful," he murmured, his eyes dancing with what I could only assume was excitement.

"Hi," I uttered. I know I could have said more than that, but he was on over dazzle today. I was still a little shocked that we even talked outside of this coffee shop. Between you and me, I pinched myself whenever he would call to tell me goodnight.

"Are you on break yet?" he inquired. Edward no longer came in the mornings but the afternoon, so that we could have lunch together. Quickly, I removed my apron and tossed it at Mike.

"I'm on my break," I added, already walking around the counter.

"I have you covered," Lauren stated. Then she waved at Edward, as if he was some superstar and she was his fan.

"What if a customer comes in and wants your special?" Mike asked, irritation obvious in his voice.

"There is already a pre-made batch right there," I replied, pointing at the pot. The moment I came around the counter, Edward pulled me into a hug and placed a kiss on my forehead. I wanted him to kiss me, but we decided not to do that in public places.

I wanted to be very cautious about what we did in public. I was worried that Carmen would somehow find out and try to use it against Edward in their divorce. Edward hated the idea of not being able to kiss me in public but agreed.

"Where are we having lunch?"

"I was thinking maybe that little diner around the corner," he replied, looking down into my face as he still held me in his arms. I nodded my head unable to resist looking into his eyes.

"You only get an hour lunch," Mike reminded me rather rudely. I inhaled a deep breath and turned to him.

"I'm well aware of that, Mike."

"And next time keep your personal relationships out of the shop," he snapped. I was completely surprised by his little remark, though I honestly don't know why.

"Mike, you are in no position to talk. We all know that you and Chelsea were not in the back office counting drawers yesterday, so why don't you get rid of that green-eyed monster called jealousy and shut it," Lauren snapped. I had to turn my face into Edward's chest to keep from laughing out loud.

"You can't talk to me like that."

"I just did," Lauren answered, as she walked from behind the counter to take a customer their coffee. I looked up at Edward who was smiling.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked and he nodded his head. We left and headed to the diner about which he was talking. It didn't take us long to be seated at a booth or to order what we wanted for lunch.

"How has work been so far today, other than the boss' son getting under your skin?" he prompted, taking a sip of the iced tea the waitress just brought over to our table.

I shrugged my shoulders, "All right, I guess. Can't really complain. What about you?"

"Had a little kid throw up on me today," he said and I practically screamed.

"Eww! Why would you tell me that," I said throwing my napkin at him. He laughed picking it up from his lap.

"I couldn't help it, I wanted to see your face," he replied. I stuck my tongue out at him and he grinned at me.

"You better watch it before I put that tongue to good use," Edward flirted, and instantly my cheeks heated up. Staring at him, I placed my straw in my mouth and simply smiled. The waitress brought over our food and we started eating.

"I talked to my lawyer," Edward reflected, breaking the silence at our table. I looked up at him from under my lashes waiting for him to say more.

"I told him what happened and he said that it should definitely give us the upper hand. The judge told him to get hard proof, so he's going to talk to the doctor Carmen was seeing, so that she can't claim I made it up," he told me. I sat back against the chair. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say. Of course I was happy, but what I really wanted to hear was that the divorce was final.

"Does this mean it should all be over soon?" I asked. Edward reached across the table and took my hand into his. His thumb making small circles on the back of my hand.

"Yes, and then we can move forward," he answered. I nodded my head saying nothing. I was still so damn terrified of what was happening between us. Not just because of Sophie and Nicholas, but because I found myself falling hard for Edward. I couldn't put my finger on one thing that made me crazy about him because the list was endless.

It scared the living hell out of me.

I feared that for some reason he would change his mind about me and lose interest.

I'm terrified now that I've allowed him to be a part of all of our lives, he would decide he didn't want any part of us.

I was petrified of the feelings he was causing in me.

But most of all, I knew that if he left today, I would already be heartbroken and that scared me more than anything.

"Bella," he called to me. I could tell by the look on his face that wasn't the first time he said my name. He got up from his seat in the booth and came over to sit next to me.

"What's bothering you?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing," I lied. He turned my face to his, forcing me to look him in those hypnotizing hazel eyes yet again.

"You can tell me, Bella."

"What if we start to move forward and you realize it's not what you want, that _I'm_ not what you want? What if you wanting me, is just part of some midlife crisis because of what Carmen put you through? Or what if you get bored with me because I'm inexperienced?" I spit out without even thinking. Edward sat there speechless as he looked at me.

God, maybe I said too much.

"Edwa…" I was cut off instantly by his kiss. It was so warm, wet, soft and passionate. Everything about not kissing in public left my mind as his mouth worked mine over. He pulled my bottom lip into his mouth then slowly pulled away from me.

"Listen to me, Bella, you are all that I want, that will never change…"

"…you don't know that."

"I do know that. The same way I know that I'm not going to ever decide to leave you, Sophie or Nicky. You have no idea how important the three of you are to me," he told me. I started chewing on my lip again.

"Doesn't that scare you, these feelings?" I asked him. I needed to know I wasn't the only one afraid of the way he was making me feel. That he knew how bizarre this had to be. I wished so much I had my mom to talk to about this, had her words of wisdom right now.

"Yes, it scares me, but sometimes what you want most in life scares the hell out of you, especially when you realize it's right in front of you," he answered like the brilliant man he was. "…And getting bored with you could never possibly happen, Bella. You have no idea how much I…"he stopped himself inhaling a deep breath. He placed his head against mine cupping my face in his hand.

"Bella, I'm not going anywhere until the day you order me away," he finally continued.

"I'll never do that."

"Then I'll never leave," he replied immediately. I kissed him again needing to feel his lips on mine. I knew kissing him in public was like telling the world we were together, but some part of me just couldn't see how that would be such a bad idea anymore.

After we finished lunch, Edward walked me back to the coffee shop. Standing outside of the shop he lifted my face to his, as if he was about to kiss me.

"I'll pick you guys up at six," he said looking into my eyes.

"Okay, do I need to bring anything?"

"Just yourself, Sophie and Nicky," he replied. I smiled nodding my head.

"Okay."

"I didn't ask you a question today," he said and I laughed.

"Is there anything left you don't know about me?" I asked with my blush spreading over my entire face.

"I don't know if Eric Yorkie turned out to be your first kiss," he replied. I started laughing as I shook my head.

"No, some guy named Will Bowman did," I answered.

"Hmm, then Eric Yorkie can continue to live, but do you know where this Will Bowman lives?" he asked with that sexy grin on his face. I laughed shaking my head at him.

"Do I detect some jealousy, Dr. Cullen?"

"Oh yes, Isabella, I don't like the idea of any other man touching you," he responded with his thumb rubbing over my lips.

"No need to be jealous, you're the only man allowed to touch me now," I informed him. Immediately, his jaw clenched and he swallowed hard.

"…I'll be working on making sure I am the last man allowed to touch you. Get back to work before I kidnap you for the rest of the day," he said placing a kiss on my forehead. I went back to work but not before placing a soft peck on his lips. The moment I walked in, Mike was down my throat.

"You're late…"

"…I am not."

"What is he, your boyfriend or something?"

"_He_…is none of your business," I replied, as I put my apron back on so that I could get back to work.

"I thought you said you didn't want to date anyone," he stated. I rolled my eyes because now he sounded just like Quil did a few mornings ago. I was well aware that I told guys I wasn't seeing anyone and that I didn't want to date, but Edward…Edward was different.

I didn't ask for Edward to come into my life. I tried fighting whatever was happening, but it seemed whenever I did the universe stepped in. So yes, I was giving in to the universe, I was giving into Edward.

"Maybe, she just didn't want to date you and was trying to bring you down gently," Lauren said with a smile on her face. I honestly think she just liked to get under his skin. Mike grumbled something and walked away. Lauren and I laughed and then she started to grill me about the kiss she saw I gave to Edward before he left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TDG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ella, why do we have to have dinner with them?" Sophie asked, standing at the edge of my bed as I buckled my shoes.

"Because they invited us, and I told them we would be there."

"But we don't even know them," Nicholas said from the chair in the corner.

"Guys, please, they are really nice people and they want to get to know the two of you," I told them. Sophie pouted while Nicholas shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the Nintendo DS he was playing.

"What if I don't like what she cooks?" Sophie asked me. This didn't surprise me since I knew for a fact she hated eating other people's cooking.

"We'll figure that out if you don't like it, but Edward said she can really cook."

"What if their house smells like old people?" Nicholas asked. I couldn't resist laughing.

"I doubt it will smell like old people, but if it does, do NOT say that while we are there, please," I chastised him.

"Okay," he said rolling his eyes. I stood up and turned to face the both of them.

"How do I look?" I asked. Nicholas waved his hand as if to say I looked all right while Sophie started telling me how I should have put on the green dress I wore to the gala. So, pretty much I got nowhere asking them how I looked. I walked over to my body-length mirror and looked at myself. I was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a navy blue blouse and tan pumps.

"Ella, are you really going to sleep in mommy and daddy's old room?" Sophie asked. I turned around to see her sitting on my bed now.

"Yes, I think it's about time you and Nicky had your own rooms," I told her. She started twisting her fingers which meant she was nervous about something.

"But Nicky and I share a bunk bed, I won't have anything for my own room," Sophie said with a pout.

"I've thought about that, which is why I decided that both of you are getting new bedroom sets," I said and they both started cheering and talking about what they wanted in their room.

The doorbell rang and Sophie ran out of the room yelling that she would get it. Quickly, I picked my purse up from the bed and told Nicholas to come on.

"Sophie, ask who it is before you answer the door!" I yelled down to her.

"Who is it?" she yelled so loud I was sure the entire block heard her. I didn't hear the person's reply as I started walking down the steps, but it wasn't necessary because she quickly yelled out.

"Edward!" as she opened the door. Edward smiled at her as he picked her up. She hugged him around his neck and it still shocked me how much she's taken to him. He looked up at me, a smile still on his face. Then he looked at Nicky who was still standing right next to me.

"Hey Nick," Edward said.

"Hey," he replied back. Nicky was nothing like Sophie. He liked Edward but didn't get as excited as Sophie whenever Edward showed up. Edward looked back at me and I could see his eyes taking me in. When he looked at me like that is when I was excited and terrified all at the same time.

"We match," he said.

"What?" I asked, having no idea what he was talking about. Then he waved his finger between the two of us and I realized we were both wearing navy blue tops and black jeans. I smiled at the irony of us wearing the same outfit the day we were going to have dinner at his parents' place.

"You guys ready to hit the road?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, Nicky put the game down," I told him.

"But I want to take it with me," he whined. I really wasn't in the mood to argue with him about this. He spent so much time in his game it drove me crazy sometimes.

"Hey Nick, why don't you leave the game and I'll show you my old comics that I still have at my parents' house," Edward said. Nicholas face instantly lit up in excitement.

"Do you have Batman comics?" he asked.

"Ten of them," Edward replied. Nicholas tossed his game on the couch and was already walking out of the house. Edward put Sophie down and she followed behind Nicky.

"Thank you for doing that, he tries to take that damn game everywhere," I said running my fingers through my hair.

"It was no problem, figured I try to help."

"You did, might have even gotten his face out of that game for a few days actually," I said and Edward smiled at me. We left the house and all climbed into Edward's car. The minute Edward pulled out of the driveway, Sophie and Nicky started asking him a million questions.

"Edward, does your mom know how to make chocolate chip cookies?" Sophie asked.

"Yup, and M&M cookies," he replied. I knew that would get Sophie's seal of approval.

"What about brownies?" Nicholas asked, Edward glanced over to me and I mouthed that they had a sweet tooth.

"Yeah, she puts chocolate chips inside of her brownies," he answered.

"Cool," Nicky replied.

"Edward, did you know Nicky and my birthday is next month?" Sophie asked.

"Actually, I did know, June 6th right?" he inquired.

"Yeah, who told you?" Sophie asked back.

"I'm just really smart," Edward replied with a wink my way. I smiled as I looked out of my window.

"Na ah, Bella told you, didn't she?" Nicholas asked. I turned around to look at him and saw he was smiling.

"I will not release my sources at this time," Edward answered making Sophie and Nicky laugh. They continued to ask Edward questions most of the drive and when we arrived, I was completely speechless by how massively large the house was.

"Holy cow, this house is humongous!" Sophie yelled from the back seat making everyone in the car laugh.

"Are your parents rich, Edward?" Nicholas asked.

"Nicky," I warned.

"What? I'm just asking," he replied. Edward laughed.

"It's all right. No they're not rich, Nick but they do make a good living," Edward answered. We all climbed out of the car and my nerves were starting to get the best of me again. I wasn't sure why, it wasn't like I never met them before. As we walked to the front door Edward held my hand.

He unlocked the door with his key and we all walked inside. The inside of the house looked like something out of a interior design magazine. It was amazing.

"Mom, we're here!" Edward yelled out into the house.

"Oh, I'm coming!" I heard her yell back from the distance. Edward showed us into the living room and each of us sat down on the couch. Carlisle walked into the living room first.

"Bella, it is great to see you again," he said coming over to me. I stood up from the couch and he pulled me into a hug.

"Thanks for inviting us," I said with a smile on my face. Esme walked in next and quickly pulled me into another hug.

"I am so happy the three of you came," she said hugging me tighter. Once she released me, I turned to officially introduce her to Sophie and Nicky.

"Esme and Carlisle, this is my little sister Sophia, and my little brother Nicholas."

"It is so nice to finally meet the two of you," Carlisle said shaking their hands.

"You, too," Sophie and Nicky said at the same time.

"I heard that the two of you absolutely love sweets," Esme said smiling at them. They both nodded their heads with smiles on their faces.

"Good, because I was really hoping to get some helpers in the kitchen to help me make some cookies and brownies," she said. I smiled at the fact that she remembered that I told her they had a sweet tooth.

"Edward said you make M&M cookies, can we make those?" Sophie asked.

"Of course we can."

"Can we have ice cream with the brownies?" Nicholas asked her.

"Is there any other way to eat a brownie?" Carlisle asked. Nicholas shook his head with a smile on his face. Just like that Sophie and Nicholas followed Esme to the kitchen. I turned and looked at Edward and he smiled.

"You'll be lucky if you get them back at all tonight," he joked. I laughed as I sat back down on the couch.

"Bella, how have you been?" Carlisle asked sitting down across from me.

"Um, I've been all right," I replied nervously. Edward sat down next to me and took my hand into his. Carlisle smiled at us.

"Edward, how is the practice?" Carlisle asked him.

"Everything's going great. Dr. Cooper is considering passing the practice over to me," Edward answered. I quickly turned to look at him. He hadn't told me about this.

"That's great son, are you ready to have your own practice?"

"Yeah, it's more consistent than working at the hospital," Edward replied.

"So, you're considering placing down some permanent roots here in Seattle?" I heard Carlisle ask. I was still looking at Edward. I know he said he wouldn't leave but the fact that he was considering taking over the clinic made me realize just how true his words were.

"Yeah, I'm loving it here in Seattle," Edward said looking over at me. I blushed fiercely knowing that I was part of the reason he was loving Seattle.

"I'm here, and I see Edward's car outside, so if he is here without Bella and those adorable kids, I will feed him to the lions!" I heard a high pitched voice yell coming from the front door. Carlisle and Edward started laughing as they both stood up from the couch.

Alice walked into the living room with an attractive, tall blonde-haired man behind her. She greeted Carlisle first then pulled me into a hug. This family was definitely huggers.

"I'm so happy you're here, Bella," Alice said into my ear. She released me then turned to the man who was still standing behind her.

"Bella, this is my love, Jasper. Honey this is Edward's Bella," she introduced. I could feel my entire body cover in my blush.

"Alice, you're embarrassing her," Edward told her. Alice simply flagged him off.

"She'll be fine as soon as she gets used to being around us," Alice replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Edward's Bella," Jasper said with a grin on his face, as he shook my hand.

"Just Bella," I replied like a fool.

"Okay, Just Bella, though I have to admit that sounds much more weird than Edward's Bella," he said and I laughed shaking my head.

"You have to excuse my future brother-in-law; he thinks he's funny," Edward said making everyone laugh.

"Ella, Ms. Esme let us lick the spoons," Sophie said running into the living room. She stopped as she spotted Jasper and Alice.

"Hi," she spoke softly waving at them.

"Sophie, this is my sister Alice and her fiancé, Jasper," Edward introduced. Sophie smiled at them now as she held out her little hand to shake theirs.

"I'm Sophia Amy Swan, nice to meet you," she said. I laughed at the fact that she told them her whole name.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Sophia, I'm Mary Alice Cullen, but everyone calls me Alice."

"I'm Jasper Vincent Whitlock," Jasper said. Then he placed a kiss on her little hand making her blush.

"Sophie, Ms. Esme said to…." Nicky stopped talking the moment his eyes landed on Alice. His entire face turned red as he looked at her.

"Nicky, this is my sister Alice and her fiancé Jasper," Edward introduced. Nicholas didn't say anything, he just kept looking at her.

"Nicholas, say hi, it's impolite to stare," I told him.

"H-H hi," he stuttered.

"Nicky's got a crush, Nicky's got a crush, Nicky's got a crush," Sophie started to sing and then before I knew it Nicholas was chasing Sophie around the Cullen's living room. To say I was embarrassed would have been a complete understatement.

It was like watching a criminal run from the police. Sophie squeezed passed people, crawled under the coffee table, leaped over the couch all while never knocking over a thing. I was surprised she could even move that fast and while still singing that Nicky had a crush.

Nicholas came close to catching her and Sophie came screaming as she ran behind me to use me as a shield. Edward quickly picked Nicholas up, stopping him in his pursuit after Sophie. She was still singing so I slapped my hand over her mouth. Nicholas tried getting free from Edward's arms and eventually realized it wasn't going to happen.

"I am so sorry," I said turning to Carlisle. He simply laughed.

"No apology necessary, Edward and our other son Emmett chased Alice around so much it was how the three of them stayed in shape," Carlisle told me. I smiled at the thought of Edward chasing Alice. This was also the first time I heard the name of Edward's brother. He never wanted to talk about him.

"Okay, you two, outside now," I told Sophie and Nicholas.

"But I didn't do anything," Sophie whined. I didn't respond, just simply pointed my finger toward the door. Edward put Nicholas down and both children walked out of the room.

"I'll be right back," I said before leaving the room. I walked outside onto the porch where Sophie and Nicky were.

"What is wrong with the two of you?" I asked.

"Sophie talks too much," Nicholas said glaring at her.

"I do not, you're just mad you like a girl."

"Shut up!" Nicky yelled.

"Hey! We are at someone else's house, we do not, and I repeat NOT act like this. Sophie leave Nicky alone, or you'll be missing some Barbie dolls when we get home, and Nicholas the next time you tell anyone to shut up I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap," I warned, my mom never tolerated _shut up_ and I wasn't about to either.

"Is that understood?" I asked the both of them.

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"Good, now go in there and apologize for acting like animals from Wild Kingdom," I said pointing back into the house. They walked back into the house and apologized to everyone.

"You all right," Edward asked walking over to me.

"Yeah, I hope your father doesn't think they're bad kids I mean…"

"Bella, stop worrying so much. My parents raised three children, they understand. My father actually thought it was kind of funny watching the way Sophie maneuvered around everyone and the furniture," Edward said and I laughed.

Esme called everyone to dinner and we all went to sit down around the table. When they were about to start eating, Sophie yelled stop.

"We didn't say grace," Sophie told them. Esme smiled at her.

"You are completely right, let's join hands," Esme said. We all joined hands as Esme said grace.

Once she finished we all said amen and began to have dinner. I watched Sophie and Nicholas closely as they picked at their food.

They hadn't tried anything on their plates. I was starting to worry they weren't going to eat at all until Carlisle starting telling them how much he loved Esme's cooking, especially her desserts.

"But, she doesn't give any dessert unless you clean your plate, so who wants to race?" Carlisle asked. Sophie and Nicky raised their hands and Edward played referee announcing the so-called rules to the race.

"What if they choke?" Alice said, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"The two best doctors in all of Washington are sitting at this table, they'll be fine," Esme said. She did have a good point. Plus, Edward said one of the rules was that they were not allowed to put more food in their mouths until they swallowed what was already in their mouths.

He called for the race to start and I watched as Sophie and Nicholas started eating someone else's cooking other than my own. The even more amazing part was that not once did either of them gag. Nicholas finished first doing his _I'm a winner_ dance.

After dinner, I helped Alice and Esme clean off the table. She tried telling me not to help but I refused to sit and do nothing. Edward, Jasper and Carlisle took Sophie and Nicky out into the backyard. Apparently, the Cullen's had a jungle gym out back for their grandchildren they never got to see very often. It seemed like the entire family was tight lipped when it came to Emmett.

"Bella, those kids are adorable. You're doing a fantastic job with them," Esme told me as she covered the bowl in which she had just placed the leftovers.

"Thank you, I just wish everyone felt that way."

"Whoever doesn't is a jackass," Alice added making me laugh. "The fact that they are making you go through this _trial_ period is just ridiculous," Alice continued, and I looked at her surprised she knew about that.

"Oh crap, Edward is going to kill me. I'm sorry, Edward told me about the court order because he wanted me to talk to Jasper about it," she said and I still looked puzzled.

"Jasper is an attorney. Edward wanted to know if there was anything that could be done to give you full custody of the kids sooner than later. He just wants to help," She continued. I started chewing on my lip as I placed the dishes into the dish washer. After I finished I stood up and looked at Esme and Alice.

"It's all right, honestly it was only a matter of time before the social worker showed up to meet all of you," I told them running my fingers through my hair.

"We'll help anyway we can, Bella. We meant that when we told you that before," Esme said.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me," I replied.

"Do you really have no one helping you, I mean no family?" Esme asked. I shook my head.

"My father was an only child and both grandparents died before Nicky and Sophie were even born. My mother's side of the family doesn't even acknowledge we exist because they were upset she didn't leave any of her money to them."

"They were willing to chance Sophie and Nicky going into foster care over money?" Esme asked in horror. I nodded my head knowing how horrible it all sounded. Esme and Alice walked over to me, both standing in front of me.

"We'll be your family, all the family you need you can get from us," Esme told me.

"You really don't have to, it's been the three of us for a year and…"

"…and you're no longer alone. Anything you need we are here to help," Alice said cutting me off. I smiled at the two of them. Last year I had no one but Billy and Mrs. Weber, now it seemed my support was expanding greatly every day.

"Are you two in here harassing her?" I heard Edward ask.

"No, we are just letting her know she can consider us family," Esme replied. Edward smiled over at me and I couldn't resist smiling back. Esme and Alice both placed a kiss on my cheek then left the kitchen leaving Edward and I alone.

"Just a warning once you consider them family you'll never get rid of them," Edward joked. I laughed leaning back against the counter.

"I don't think that will be so bad," I replied. He walked over to me and trapped me between his arms. He leaned in close, his scent drowning me.

"I'm really happy you agreed to come to dinner."

"Me too."

"Have I told you how great you look tonight?" he asked. I shook my head _no _and he leaned in even closer.

"You look beautiful as always, Isabella," he breathed and my body shivered. I had never loved hearing my name on a man's lips as much as I loved hearing it on his lips.

"Edward, I'm terrified at the way you make me feel," I admitted thoughtlessly. He placed his forehead against mine and I wanted to melt into him.

"Me, too, but I would never hurt you. Ever," he whispered.

"I would never hurt you, either," I replied.

"I know," he said looking into my eyes.

"Kiss me," I told him. He gripped my hip and pulled me against his body as he devoured my mouth. His tongue felt so good when it touched my own. I pushed my fingers into his hair deepening our kiss. I could taste the wine he had with dinner on his tongue and it only added to the delicious taste that was Edward.

Both his hands gripped my hips now as he pressed his body into mine. Fisting his hair in my hands I sucked his lip into my mouth. This kiss was hot, like the ones we usually shared on my couch at home. It was sloppy, desperate, and needy as we tried to inhale the other.

"It is time for…oh my," I heard Esme say in the distance. I jumped quickly releasing Edward. He turned to face his mother and I was even more embarrassed than I was before.

"I was coming to get dessert but I see the two of you started on your own," Esme teased. Christ, I'm certain my face was on fire.

"Mom," Edward said in a warning tone.

"What? I think it's cute. Don't let me interrupt," she said picking up the tray that held the brownies and cookies Sophie and Nicholas helped her make.

"We'll be out in a sec," Edward told her.

"No rush, we're fine. Sophie is telling us a story about unicorns. I think I might have to get her an agent, I always wanted to have a writer in the family" Esme joked making me laugh. She walked out of the kitchen and Edward turned around smiling at me.

"Your lips are red," he said letting his fingers trace over my lips.

"Probably because this guy keeps nibbling on them," I replied back with a grin.

"Lucky man."

"I don't know, he can be a pain sometimes," I joked. He laughed pulling me against him and planting a deep kiss on my mouth. He lifted his lips from mine and looked down into my face. He didn't say anything he just looked at me as if I was the best thing in the entire world.

"Can you promise me something?" I asked.

"Anything," he replied without hesitation.

"Promise you'll never make me have to choose between you and them," I said. I knew that he wouldn't but part of me needed to hear him say it. I feared doing what my mother did. Part of me feared that I would fall so hard for him I would lose myself.

"Bella…"

"Just promise me, please."

"I promise to never put you in any position where you have to choose between me and them," he promised. I inhaled a deep breath feeling relaxed after hearing him say that. I knew it was a little foolish but I couldn't change how I felt.

"Bella, I don't know how many times I can tell you that I want to be with you, that I want the entire package that comes with you and that includes Sophie and Nicholas. So instead of telling you, I'm going to show you, all right?" he asked. I nodded my head _yes _unable to speak.

"I know you're scared but have faith in this, have faith in us, in me, can you promise me that?" he asked. I smiled and nodded my head _yes _again. I've known Edward for eight months and already I had more faith in him than I've ever had in anyone else.

Even though it scared me that he could just be another thing snatched away from me, I had faith that he wouldn't go without one hell of a fight. It was at that moment I discovered that faith was bigger than fear.

* * *

**_Super cute!_**

**_Please leave a review please!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	9. Give your heart a break

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Give your heart a break_**

**_Chapter 9_**

_"I like your hair this way," my mother said pushing my hair out of my face. I kept my head on her lap like I had done many times before when we had talks._

_"It grew a lot."_

_"Remember when I used to braid it?" she asked. I could feel her fingers in my hair. It was all so real._

_"Yeah, and I would cry so bad daddy would make you stop and give me ice cream," I replied and we both laughed._

_"That's because you were my princess, Bell, you still are," I heard my father say. My heart clenched in my chest. I knew this was a dream but I didn't care. My dreams were the only place my parents still existed. I didn't move my head from my mother's lap as my legs laid across my father's lap. It was like I was that eight-year-old little girl all over again._

_"It's okay, you know?" my mother said._

_"What's okay?" I replied starting to make little circles on her knee._

_"Letting him in," she answered. I turned so that I was looking up at her. It was so bright around us, but I could see her face clearly, still see my father's face perfectly._

_"I'm scared."_

_"We know, but it is okay, baby," she said while fingering my bangs. I looked over at my father and he was watching me._

_"What do you think, dad?"_

_"I'll never think any guy is good enough for you, Kiddo, you know that. But I agree with your mother," he answered. Again, I felt my heart clench in my chest. I reached for my father's hand and smiled at how rough it felt. Mom would try to talk him into lotioning his hands but he never did._

_"I wish this was real," I said, playing with his fingers._

_"Who said it wasn't?" my mother asked. That was definitely something she would have really said. She believed in the spiritual world and the universe. I guess with them gone some part of me wanted to believe it, too, more than anything._

_"I'm sorry," I told them both._

_"For what, princess?"_

_"Causing so much trouble, being so difficult when you wanted me home for the weekends," I answered. My mother smiled and placed a kiss on my forehead._

_"Don't ever apologize for being you, Bella," she told me. Something else she often told me._

_"Yeah, I wouldn't change anything about you. What I love most about you, princess, is your individuality, your strength to do what you felt was right no matter what other people said, and the way you give so freely to others. Don't apologize for being you," my father added._

_"I miss you both so much."_

_"We miss you, too, but you know what?" my mother asked with a smile on her face._

_"What?"_

_"Sometimes the greatest pain brings along the greatest gifts," she said. I was about to ask her what she meant when I heard ringing in the distance._

My eyes opened and I was looking up at my ceiling. My alarm continued to go off and I knew that my dream was over. I felt a tear slowly descend down the side of my face. Breathing in a deeply, I got out of bed and shut my alarm off.

I took a quick shower since I hadn't taken one last night. Standing under the hot water I let it relax me. Once I was out of the shower, I dressed and went to wake Sophie and Nicky. As I did every morning, I had to tickle Sophie's feet to get her out of bed. Once I knew they were both awake I left their room to go make breakfast.

Things had changed and yet some things were still the same old daily grind. I fed them their breakfast then we all left the house. I drove them to Mrs. Weber's place, and like every morning, she was already waiting outside.

"Do you still need me to pick them up after school?" Mrs. Weber asked, holding Nicky and Sophie against her legs.

"Yeah, I just have a few errands to handle."

"All right, have a good day at work and if that Newton boy gives you any more trouble, tell him I know how to use a grinder," Mrs. Weber told me. I laughed waving at the three of them and leaving for work.

I asked Mrs. Weber to pick them up today because I planned to go out and do some birthday shopping for the two of them. From the moment they were born they had a birthday party, except for last year. I didn't give them a party because they asked me not to. This year though, I was going to make up for that as best as I could. Angela was meeting me at the shop after work to help.

When I arrived in the shop parking lot, I saw Lauren's car. She hadn't been late once since I threatened to fire her. Honestly, her entire attitude seemed to change. At first I thought it was for show but as time went on we actually started to get along. Angela used to joke it was because she was trying to butter me up for a raise.

"Hey, Bella," Lauren said as I got out of my car. I waved at her shutting my driver side door. As I started walking toward the shop, I couldn't help noticing the huge smile on her face.

"What's the smile for?" I asked, placing my key in the lock.

"I may or may not have gotten a home run last night with Paul," she said. My jaw dropped as I turned and looked at her.

"Already? You've only been seeing him for a few weeks," I said. She shrugged her shoulders.

"It felt right. Are you telling me you and Dr. Hot Pants haven't done the deed yet?" she asked. I felt my blush betray me as I opened the door and shut off the alarm.

"Don't ignore me, did you two do it yet?" she asked coming in behind me.

"No," I practically whispered.

"No! How the hell haven't you asked that man to bend you over and fuck you like a jack rabbit?" she inquired. I slapped my hands over my face in embarrassment.

"Oh my god, Lauren, can you please stop," I said, feeling completely uncomfortable right now.

"Bella, are you a virgin?" she asked. I knew talking to her about her sex life would make her start questioning me about my own. I removed my hands and looked at her.

"Yes, now can we please drop this?"

"Oh my god, you're like an endangered species," she replied.

"What?" I asked with a laugh.

"A virgin woman in her twenties in the 21st century, it's rare," she answered. I shook my head and started to prepare the coffee for the day.

"Can we please drop it, Lauren?"

"Sure, but don't be ashamed about it. Honestly, if I could go back in time I would have waited. I mean Paul is the first decent guy I've been with, my first time was a complete nightmare," she continued. Lauren was a chatterbox and I was really hoping she would change the subject soon.

"Dr. Hot Pants looks like he'll know what he's doing in the bedroom. You'll be in good hands, but you tell him if he ruins your first time, I will break his sexy toes," she continued, and I laughed so loud it filled the entire shop.

"How do you know he has sexy toes?" I asked, honestly afraid to know the answer.

"Come on, the man is mouthwatering. So I know his toes are too, but seriously, he better make it special for you. Have the two of you tried other stuff?"

"Other stuff, like what?"

"Bella, I'll believe the virgin business, but there is no way you don't know what I'm talking about," she replied waving her fingers at me.

"OH! No, we haven't done…that…"

"Well, you should, good preparation before the real thing," she informed me. I shook my head as I handed her some cups to fill.

"Lauren, as much as I am enjoying your sex lesson, could we please change the subject?" I asked. She laughed filling a cup with hot water.

"Yeah, but promise to tell me when you and Dr. Hot Pants get dirty under the sheets," she replied.

"I don't know if I want to tell you, the entire shop will know if I do."

"I'll behave when you tell me. If I don't, I'll be on mopping duty in the shop for a month," she told me. I laughed again just as the door opened, and Quil came inside with today's baked goods. Thankfully, Lauren played interference when Quil tried asking me out again.

The customers started to arrive a little while after he left and our day went into high gear. All the sex talk had ended and Lauren and I got to work. We were so in sync now that we didn't have any problems at work.

No problems, but Mike.

"You need to make a new batch of Hazelnut coffee," Mike said from behind me. I turned around quickly.

"We just made some."

"I tasted it. It was gross so I dumped it out," he replied. My nose flared as I glared at him.

"Mike, why do you do shit like that, we just made that damn coffee," Lauren snapped going over to make a new pot.

"Five-dollar fine," he said holding up five fingers.

"What?"

"Five-dollar fine for cursing while customers are in the shop," he told her.

"Since when?" I asked, never hearing this rule before.

"Since now. Is there a problem?" he asked right back. Lauren and I looked at each other, then back at Mike.

"You're a jackass," I told him.

"I may not be able to fire you because you're my mother's favorite pet, but I can fine you too," he said. I smiled at him.

"Jackass isn't technically a curse word. It means donkey in case you forgot," I reminded him. His jaw went tight and he walked away toward the back office. When I looked over at Lauren she was bent over laughing.

In most cases, I tried to watch the way I spoke to people. I didn't want anyone causing any trouble for me with Emily, but Mike was pushing it. Thankfully, he was never around the kids to call Emily about them, and when it came to work, Emily called Mrs. Newton directly.

I worked up until my lunch break, and let Lauren know that I would be taking an extra half an hour. Whenever I did this, it meant she could do the same the next day. I was driving out to the clinic to have lunch with Edward today. He couldn't come to me because he was busier than usual. I hated the idea of not having lunch with him, so I decided that I would take lunch to him.

Lauren kept making kissing noises while I prepared to leave. Then she told me not to do anything she wouldn't do, at least not in a public place. I simply shook my head and left. The moment I got into my car, my cell phone rang and I saw Mrs. Newton's name displayed. I shook my head knowing Mike must have called her.

"Hello," I answered.

"Hey, Bella, are you on break?" she asked, knowing I took my break the same time every day.

"Yeah, I just left the shop."

"Good, then Mike isn't hovering over you," she replied. This caught me by surprise.

"What did you need, Mrs. Newton?"

"I'm coming back into town in a few days and I want to talk to you about giving you a little more control. You're young, so I can't just leave you the shop, even though I want to greatly. But we can work it out that you have control over it while I'm away," she said. I sat back in the seat shocked.

"Um…I thought Mike was in control while you were away?"

"Oh, please, if I leave it to him, I won't have a shop to come back to. I tried to do the noble thing by leaving it to my son, but I've worked too hard to let it fall apart because he's clueless and wants to be a control freak. We'll hire another girl so that way, your absence from the front counter doesn't interfere with the morning rush."

"Um, Mrs. Newton, I don't know what to say."

"Just say it's something you would like to do. I mean, I know you were in college and probably pictured your life completely different but…"

"…Of course, I'd love to do it," I said cutting her off. Honestly, while I was in college I had no idea what I wanted to do. I took classes with no real major selected. I wanted to learn everything and figured I had my whole life ahead of me to make a decision on what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Now, I realized that life didn't work that way.

"That's great. I'll see you in a few days, enjoy your break dear," she said. I said goodbye to her and hung up the phone. Shocked and in a little daze, I drove to the clinic to see Edward. The clinic wasn't that far from the coffee shop, so it didn't take me as long as I thought it would.

The moment I walked in, I groaned seeing Jessica at the front desk. The woman was a complete pain in the ass.

"Bella, what are you doing here? Your brother doesn't have an appointment today," she said as I approached the desk.

"I know, that's why he's not with me. I'm here to see Dr. Cullen," I informed her. She smiled at me.

"Bella, you're a big girl now. You're not supposed to see pediatricians anymore. You have to see a big girl doctor," she teased, and I wanted to slap that damn grin off her face.

"Bella," I heard Edward say in surprise. I turned and smiled seeing him in his white lab coat. I swear I was seconds away from calling him Dr. Hot Pants like Lauren often did.

"Hey," I replied back with a smile on my face. He came over to me and pulled me into his arms. When he kissed me right there in that waiting room in front of Jessica, I almost squealed. He released my mouth and I grinned up at him.

"Someone's happy to see me," I teased and he gave me that sexy grin.

"You have no idea, why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you succeeded. C'mon back to my office," he said taking my hand.

"Jessica, let Dr. Cooper know I'm taking a fifteen minute break," he told her.

"But you have another appointment…"

"I shouldn't if you'd scheduled them fifteen minutes apart as I requested you to do," he replied in a tone I've never heard him use before. She swallowed hard and nodded her head. Holding my hand a little tighter we headed for his office.

The moment we entered and he shut the door, he pressed me up against it as his mouth devoured mine. The bags in my hand were soon forgotten as I let them fall to the floor and I wrapped my arms around him.

This kiss was wild and hot as he sucked my tongue into his mouth. I fisted his hair and he gripped my thigh. Hitching it over his hip as he pressed into me. I moaned feeling his hard erection against my heat. I may have been a virgin, but I knew the heat and moistness I was feeling between my legs right now was good sign.

His large hand gripped my ass molding my body into his perfectly. When he shifted and lifted my other leg from the floor I moaned into his mouth. I don't know what had come over him, but I didn't care. I locked my legs behind him and my hips seemed to rock all on their own. I was clueless to what I wanted but my body was apparently well aware.

I could feel him pull me away from the door, and then I felt us being lowered. I figured he must have been sitting down. I could feel his hands slipping under my shirt. They were hot, strong and soft as they traveled up the length of my back.

He released my lips and started kissing up the column of my neck. I tossed my head back allowing him more access. When I felt his hands rounding to cup my breast I shivered. They fit in his hands perfectly. He massaged them gently as his tongue made those little circles over that spot on my neck.

_Knock, knock._

"Edward, you in here?" a male voice said from the other side of the door.

"Fuck!" Edward cursed under his breath. His hands slipped from my body and I groaned in disappointment.

"I'm sorry," he said looking into my face. Chewing on my lip I nodded my head as I removed myself from his lap. My eyes practically fell out their sockets when I saw the bulge in his pants. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on my lips, then stood up adjusting himself. I fixed my shirt, then ran my fingers through my hair.

Edward opened the door and Dr. Cooper came in.

"Jessica said you needed to talk to me," he advised and I practically growled. I knew she did that shit on purpose.

"No, I told Jessica to let you know I was taking a fifteen minute break," Edward replied running his fingers through his hair. Dr. Cooper looked over in my direction and I forced a smile on my face.

"Ms. Swan?"

"Hi, Dr. Cooper," I responded with a little wave.

"Is Nicholas all right?" he asked immediately.

"Yes, he's fine. I was just here visiting Edward," I replied. He looked at Edward then back at me. I saw the questioning look on his face.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked me.

"Yes."

"Oh, so this is a personal visit?" he asked.

"With all due respect, Frank, that's none of your business," Edward answered with a little anger dripping in his voice.

"It's just... she's only a child, Edward and…"

"…I'm not a child, Dr. Cooper and I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about me like I wasn't in the room."

"Bella, I was your pediatrician for chrissakes, I mean…"

"I'm a grown woman."

"You haven't even lived yet; I mean, what do you know about being a woman, you're only 21?" he continued as if he had some right to question me.

"What do I know about being a woman? Dr. Cooper, I am more of a woman than women twice my age. I gave up everything to raise my brother and sister and I walked away from it without a look back. I had to grow up overnight and make life decisions someone my age should never be forced to do but I did it! So don't you dare stand there and question any decision I make in MY life. What I do with Edward is none of your business or anyone else's," I snapped. Dr. Cooper looked surprised by my words and soon a smile formed on his face.

"You sound just like your mother," he admitted, and just like that I couldn't be angry anymore.

"…I'm sorry, Bella. I've just watched you grow up and was concerned," he continued.

"I appreciate you caring, but I know what I'm doing."

"I see that. Edward, you take care of her," Dr. Cooper said then he left Edward's office. I sat back against the couch and ran my fingers through my hair. Edward stood over me with his hands pushed into his pockets as he smiled down at me.

"What?" I asked, wanting to know why he was smiling at me.

"I was all ready to toss him out on his ass for talking to you like that and you just…you amaze me," he said. I smiled feeling my blush fill my cheeks. I was never one to bite my lip and I didn't start to do so until after my parents died, but every day I was starting to feel just a little closer to being myself again.

"He pissed me off," I replied. Edward sat down next to me and took my hand into his.

"I saw that."

"Do you think I'll always have to defend us being together?"

"The people who actually matter in our lives don't mind the age difference, do you?" he asked, and I looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Of course not," I replied.

"Neither do I, because in my eyes you are my equal, Bella. What other people think doesn't matter," he informed me. I smiled and cupped his face as I placed a kiss on his lips.

My cell phone started to ring and I noticed the ring tone as the one I set for the kids' school.

Quickly, I searched for my phone and answered it.

"Hello."

"Ms. Swan?"

"This is she," I answered, my heart already pounding.

"Hi, I'm Nurse Nancy here at McKinley Christian Academy," she exclaimed, taking too long to tell me her reason for calling.

"Oh my god, what happened?" I said, already getting up from the couch and grabbing my purse.

"Nicholas suffered a severe asthma attack and his inhaler didn't seem to help so I called an ambulance," she replied and a little part of me died.

"Is he…what hospital?" I asked, while Edward asked me what was wrong. She told me what hospital they were taking him to and quickly hung the phone up.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked me. I was completely freaking out as I rushed out of his office.

"Bella," he called to me again but I didn't answer him. I had to get to Nicholas, he was completely terrified of hospitals and they sent him alone. He was alone; I was supposed to be there.

"Jessica, I'm leaving!" I heard Edward say from behind me.

"What about your appointments?"

"Cancel them or give them to Dr. Cooper, I have a family emergency, and you and I need to talk about your inability to deliver a message properly when I return..." he yelled, still behind me as I walked out of the clinic's doors and out into the parking lot. Frantically, I searched for my car keys in my purse but I couldn't find them anywhere.

"C'mon, well take my car," Edward said pulling his keys from his pocket. I looked up at him feeling the tears in my eyes. Quickly, he walked over to me and pulled me into his arms as I started to cry.

"He has to be okay, Edward, I can't lose him too," I cried into his chest. I felt him place a kiss on the top of my head.

"You won't lose him, you hear me?" he whispered into my hair. I nodded my head and tried to pull myself together. We climbed into his car and I told him what hospital Nicholas was heading to. Edward drove like a bat out of hell making sure that we arrived in record time.

He dropped me off in front of the door so that I could go right in while he looked for a parking spot. I ran inside and to the front desk.

"An ambulance brought in a little boy, Nicholas Swan," I said to the women. She looked at her computer and pressed some keys.

"Are you his guardian?"

"Yes, where is?" I asked. She directed me to where he was and I darted to the back in search of him.

"Nicky! Nicholas! Someone tell me where my brother is!" I yelled through the halls.

"Miss, can I help you?" a nurse asked stopping me in the hallway. I pushed my fingers into my hair and told her who I was looking for.

"Come with me," she said heading up the hall. We stopped outside of a room and I could see Nicholas lying in the bed through the little window. Quickly, I burst the doors open.

"What's wrong with him? Do something!" I yelled at the doctor in the room.

"Who are you?"

"I'm his sister, what's wrong with my brother?" I asked, looking at him with the mask on his face and an IV in his little arm.

"Let's talk out here."

"No, tell me now," I snapped. He escorted me out of the room and I instantly saw Edward coming up the hall.

"They won't tell me what's wrong with him," I told him on the brink of tears again.

"Who are you?" the doctor asked Edward.

"I'm Dr. Cullen, what's wrong with Nicholas?" he asked pulling me against his side.

"He suffered from a severe asthma attack. Does he take any medications at home?"

"Uh, he takes Volmax and Flovent," I said, remembering the names.

"Did he take the Volmax this morning? Sometimes if they miss taking a pill, the inhaler will not help if they have an asthma attack," he informed me.

"He takes it every morning," I replied, not understanding how this could have happened.

"Okay, we're going to take a chest X-ray to see what may be the problem. Right now we gave him some steroids to stop the inflammation of his lungs," he told me and I nodded my head.

"He'll be fine, Ms. Swan," he assured me. I nodded my head again and looked into the room.

"Can I go in to see him now?"

"Sure," he said. I looked up at Edward and he told me he was going to ask the doctor some more questions. I told him okay and walked into the room. I walked over next to Nicky's bed and looked down into his face. His eyes were open as he looked at me.

"The doctor said you were going to be all right," I told him. A tear fell from his eye and I whipped it away. He started to try and remove the mask but I stopped him.

"Leave it on, you need the oxygen."

"I'm sorry, Bella," his groggy voice said from behind the mask.

"For what? It's not your fault."

"I forgot…" he strained to say again. I was about to ask him what he was talking about and then I knew.

"You forgot to take your medicine this morning?" I asked and he nodded his head. I placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Don't worry about it, everything will be fine, okay? I promise." I assured him. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Is Sophie here, she was crying," he said, and I could just imagine the hell she was causing in school right now.

"No, she's not here, but I could ask Edward to go and pick her up," I replied.

"He's here?" he asked with surprise.

"Yeah, he drove me here, he drove faster than those race cars, too," I stated and he laughed a little.

"Can I see him?" he asked and this surprised me. I nodded my head then walked out to let Edward know Nicholas wanted to see him. Edward got up from the chair in which he was sitting and came into the room.

"Hey man, how you feeling?" Edward asked. Nicky gave a thumbs up and Edward smiled at him. I left the room so I could call Lauren and let her know I wasn't coming back. The moment I told her why, she started talking a mile a minute.

"He's fine, but he has to have a chest x-ray done and I won't be able to make it back to work," I informed her.

"Girl, don't you worry about this hell hole. You worry about Nicholas. I have everything under control here, call me and give me an update," she replied.

"Will do, thanks, Lauren."

"No problem, boss lady," she said and hung up. I watched Edward talking to Nicholas through the window, then I saw him give Nicky a hug. It filled my heart with so much joy I thought it might explode. Edward walked out of Nicky's room and approached me pulling his keys out of his pocket.

"I'll be back," he said and I'll admit I pouted.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"To pick up Sophie, or is that not the plan?" he asked, and I smiled at him. I gave him the school's address, and he placed a kiss on my lips before leaving to go pick her up. I called the school to let them know that Edward was coming to pick Sophie up, then I called Mrs. Weber to let her know she didn't have to. When I explained why, she promised she would be here in no more than an hour. I tried telling her she didn't have to come, but that fell on deaf ears.

Nicholas' doctor came over and let me know they were ready to perform the chest x-ray on him; I told him that Nicholas informed me he forgot to take his medicine.

"I figured as much, but we're going to do the x-ray just to make sure everything is all right," he informed me and I nodded my head. I relaxed Nicholas as best as I could when it was time to have the x-ray done.

After the procedure was over, they moved him to another room while they gave him some breathing treatments. I sat next to him while he sat up in the bed and colored a SpongeBob.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think if I died I would have been with mommy and daddy?" he asked.

"Don't say things like that, you didn't die and you're not going to any time soon," I told him. He put his crayon down and looked at me.

"You don't know that."

"And you don't know that you won't. Now please don't talk like that anymore, okay?" I asked. He nodded his head and picked his crayon back up to continue coloring. We sat there quietly for a few minutes.

"I think Mommy and Daddy would have been waiting with opened arms, but they knew it wasn't your time, so they saved you so that you could stay with Sophie and me," he looked at me with a huge smile.

"Yeah, I think so too," he replied. I smiled and sat back in my chair. Just then the door flew open and Sophie came running into the room.

"Nicky Mouse, you're okay!" she yelled running over to him. I smiled because the last time she called him Nicky Mouse, our parents were still alive. She climbed into the bed with him and they hugged each other. I turned around and looked at Edward who stood there with his hands in his pockets. I walked over to him and stopped once I was directly in front of him. Looking up at him, his eyes seemed to dazzle me more now.

"Thank you," I said with a small smile touching my lips.

"You're welcome," he replied brushing my bangs back from my eyes. We sat inside Nicholas' room as we waited for his doctor to come back in. Sophie refused to leave the bed even after the nurse tried to warn us that she couldn't be in the bed. Edward tossed around his doctor title yet again and told the nurse Sophie wasn't moving.

A knock sounded on the door and I told the person to come in, thinking it might have been the doctor. Instead it was Emily. Quickly, I jumped up.

"It was an accident, Emily, it could have happened anywhere. He forgot to take his medicine and had an asthma attack at school," I rambled, feeling like my world was about to fall apart.

"It was my fault, Ms. Emily, please don't make us leave Bella," Nicholas said, this only breaking my heart more.

"How did you find out he was here?" Edward asked standing up.

"It doesn't matter how I found out, the matter is I did and it wasn't Bella who called me. Who are you might I ask?" she inquired.

"Dr. Edward Cullen," he said holding his hand out to shake hers.

"Ah, Dr. Cullen, I've heard quite a bit about you," she said with a little smile.

"Likewise," he replied with no smile whatsoever.

"I just came to make sure he was all right and to find out what happened," she said looking back at me now.

"I would have called the moment we got home," I informed her.

"I'll put it down as an accident," she said, writing in that damn notepad I hated.

"It was an accident," Edward said, and I could hear the agitation in his voice. Emily nodded her head and looked over at the kids.

"Hello, Sophia," she said. Sophie waved with one hand while the other held Nicky's hand.

"Nicholas, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm okay now since my sisters are here," he answered. Emily nodded her head and made another note.

"Bella, can I talk to you in the hallway?" she asked. I nodded my head and told Sophie and Nicky I would be right back. Edward started to follow me out and I tried telling him he didn't have to follow me but he wasn't having it.

"Bella, I have to put this incident in the record and…"

"…why is the system so far down Bella's throat as if she's some unfit parent?" Edward asked cutting her off.

"We are only concerned about the wellbeing of those two children."

"I would believe that if I didn't get the feeling that someone wanted her to lose them," he snapped.

"Are you trying to imply something, Dr. Cullen?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't want to accuse an already corrupt system of being corrupt," he answered and this surprised me. He looked pissed off as he looked at Emily.

"I have always been on Bella's side and…"

"…then stop coming down on her as if she's some careless parent, that doesn't give a damn about those two kids in there. She cares more about those kids than some of the unfit women you let keep their children," he snapped cutting her off.

"Dr. Cullen…"

"…save it, you record this incident but know I won't let anyone take those two from her. So if I have to hire a lawyer for her I will, but whoever this person is calling you trying to sabotage her chances of gaining custody, you can tell them they have to get through me first," Edward told her, then he turned around and walked back into Nicholas' room.

It was at this moment I realized that I was in love with Edward Cullen.

"He's cares about the three of you very much," I heard Emily say, and I nodded my head a little speechless. She told me a few more things then left just as Angela and Mrs. Weber were coming up the hall. I saw the look on Mrs. Weber's face when she saw Emily. Instantly, she began jumping to my defense and so did Angela when she realized who Emily was.

They both came over to me giving me a hug and asking about Nicholas. I told them what the doctor told me and then we all walked into the room. Nicholas smiled when he saw Mrs. Weber and Angela.

I sat back down next to Edward and he took my hand into his kissing the back of it.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For what?"

"Snapping out there, it's just…" I placed my finger over his lips.

"Please don't apologize for that, I appreciated it more than I could ever tell you," I informed him with a smile. "…and thank you for talking to Jasper and finding out if there was anything he could do," I continued.

"I meant it, Bella. I won't let anyone take them from you."

"I know you won't, thank you," I told him, and despite the room full of people, I leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips.

Once Nicholas was cleared to go home we all left. Allowing Nicholas to go home the same night, had a lot to do with a certain man tossing that doctor title around some more. He informed Nicholas' doctor, he would be staying with us for the night to assure that Nicholas was all right. Angela and Mrs. Weber went to pick up my car and said they would meet me at my house.

When we got home, I laughed seeing Esme, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper all standing in the yard. We climbed out of the car and they each greeted Nicholas first asking him how he was doing. Esme held a container and turned to me.

"I made him brownies; he can have these, right?" she asked. I smiled nodding my head.

"Good, I also brought over dinner. I knew you wouldn't want to cook," she told me, pointing to the containers Jasper and Carlisle were holding.

"You really didn't have to, Esme," I said and she flagged me.

"That's what family is for sweetheart, now let's get these babies in the house and you off your feet," she said. I unlocked the door and turned off the alarm. I directed them to where the kitchen was and Edward carried Nicholas into the living room.

I sat down on the couch feeling completely whipped. Edward kneeled down in front me and began removing my shoes.

"Edward, you don't have to do that."

"I want to take care of you, now let me," he said. I smiled and leaned back against the couch. A moment later, Carlisle came into the living room with a glass of water and two aspirins.

"Are you allergic to aspirin?" he asked. I shook my head and he held them out to me.

"Take these, they'll get rid of the headache."

"How do you know I have a headache?" I asked

"Any person would have one after the day you've had, you just relax and we'll take care of everything, all right?" Carlisle asked and I nodded my head. He started to walk away as I called to him.

"Thank you."

"No need in thanking family, Bella. It's what we're here for," he replied then walked out of the living room. I smiled and looked back at Edward.

"Told you, you'd never get rid of them," he said and I laughed. When Angela and Mrs. Weber arrived, Esme quickly hit it off with Mrs. Weber, especially when she found out Mrs. Weber was the one who had been helping me out the past year.

Nicholas and I were ordered not to move from the couch. Sophie just enjoyed being able to tell us both what to do and having everyone on her side. It was nice having a house full of people again, the laughter, the chatter and banter. It felt like home.

"Bella, Sophie said you are refurnishing all of your bedrooms," Alice said, coming into the living room. I looked over at Edward who was sitting next to me. He started shaking his head _no _for some reason. I looked back at Alice.

"Yeah, I am," I replied.

"If you love me you'll let me do it," she said, giving me those eyes again.

"Alice, I could never afford to pay you for…"

"…I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that. Now please, just say yes, you won't regret it," she said. I looked around the room and Carlisle, Jasper and Edward were shaking their heads _no_. When I looked back at Alice, she was still giving me those eyes. I couldn't tell her _no_.

"Okay."

"Yay! You won't regret this, Bella," she yelled, running from the living room and no doubt running upstairs.

"You're going to regret it," Edward whispered in my ear.

"Why? Is she horrible at it?"

"No, she's great, decorated our parents' entire first floor," he said.

"Then why will I regret it?" I asked looking at Jasper.

"Because, my darling, beautiful fiancée is a monster when it comes to stuff like this. She'll call you in the middle of the night with pattern ideas, pushing magazines at you to select what kind of furniture you want…"

"…in a nutshell she's going to drive you crazy," Carlisle finished cutting Jasper off. I started laughing because they sounded so serious.

We all sat there watching a movie and I don't know when I fell asleep but when I woke up, I was in the darkness of my room and in my bed. I went to get up and felt arms around me.

"They're asleep," I heard Edward say. I smiled into the night.

"They let you tuck them in?" I asked surprised.

"Yup, even let me say my prayers with them," he whispered against my ear.

"Sophie's nightlight?"

"On," he answered pulling me tighter against his body. I realized I wasn't in my clothes any more but a t-shirt.

"Don't worry, Angela changed your clothes. If I would have done it you'd be in your underwear," he told me as if he could hear my thoughts. I laughed, tracing my fingers over the hair on his arms.

"So, how did you end up in my bed?" I asked.

"I came to kiss you goodnight and you asked me to stay. If you want me to sleep downstairs, I will," he said and began moving. I held onto his arm and turned around in the bed so that I was facing him in the darkness.

"No, I want you to stay. I like being in your arms."

"Then in my arms you will stay," he replied, pulling me against him. He placed a kiss on my forehead and I rested my head in the crook of his neck. Lying there in Edward's arms, I decided that I would finally begin to give my heart a break from all the pain I harbored.**_  
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**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	10. The Night I Became His

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_The Night I Became His_**

**_Chapter 10_**

"Happy Sister Day!" Sophie and Nicholas yelled waking me from my sleep. I rubbed my eyes and tried to focus on them.

"Sister Day?" I asked confused.

"Angela said we should call it Sister Day instead of Mother's Day because you deserve a day, too," Sophie said playing with my hair. Now I understood perfectly.

"Is that why you two asked me to take you to see mom yesterday instead of today?" I asked, and they both nodded their heads. I had found it interesting that they asked to visit our mother's grave yesterday instead of on Mother's Day.

"Does that mean I have to tell you Happy Sister Day, too?" I asked Sophie with a smile. She started tapping her lip then shook her head.

"No, I don't do nearly as much as you do."

"Yeah, plus Sophie, you're not a grown up; it's only for grown-up sisters," Nicholas said making me laugh.

"Sister Day has rules?" I asked with a smirk on my face.

"We're still working out all the kinks," Sophie answered making me laugh.

"This is from us, Bella," Nicholas said handing me a blue rectangular box. I looked at the box then up at the two of them.

"What is it?"

"You have to open it to find out, duh!" Sophie replied. I rolled my eyes taking the box from Nicky's hand and slowly opening it. Inside was silver heart-shaped locket. I ran my fingers over the design that was on the front.

"Look inside," Sophie said practically bouncing on the bed. Smiling, I opened the locket and inside were pictures of the three of us. On the left was a picture of me and Nicky and on the right one of Sophie and me.

"Do you like it?" Sophie asked.

"I love it, who helped the two of you do this?" I asked expecting them to say Angela.

"Edward and Angela; they took us to the jewelry store," Nicholas answered, then he turned the locket over and on the back was an engraving that read...

_Best Sister Ever_

I tried not to cry as I hugged and thanked both of them. They could never possibly know how much this meant to me. I placed it around my neck and told them I would wear it every day.  
I started to get up from the bed and Sophie and Nicky pushed me back down.

"Where are you going?" they both asked. I laughed looking between the two of them.

"The bathroom, if that's all right with the two of you," I replied laughing. They released me and I got up out of bed and went to use the bathroom. Quickly, I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I didn't know what they were up to, but it was very obvious Angela was behind it. I finished up in the bathroom then walked back to my bedroom.

"Do I get to know what the plan is for today?" I asked them as I came back into the room. They looked at each other as if they weren't allowed to tell me. Just then the doorbell rang and they both jumped off of the bed and ran out of my room.

"We'll get it!" they both yelled.

"Ask who it is first!" I yelled back, honestly already knowing it was Angela. I slipped my feet into my slippers and started heading downstairs. I stopped in the middle of the staircase as my eyes landed on Edward.

"No, we didn't tell her anything," Nicholas said, replying to a question Edward must have asked him.

"She's going to be so surprised," Sophie said holding Edward's hand as she bounced up and down with joy. Edward looked up at me then, as if he had felt me standing here. A grin exploded across his face.

"Morning, beautiful," he said, instantly making me blush. Sophie and Nicholas turned around looking up at me.

"Give her the flowers, Edward," Sophie nudged him. It was then I noticed the most beautiful bouquet of pink and white orchids in his hand. It didn't surprise me that he remembered what my favorite flowers were.

I remembered he was surprised by my choice, said he expected me to say roses. But I loved orchids, they were exotic and represented so much more than beauty.

Slowly, he started walking up the steps to me and I chewed on my lip as I admired how he looked in his casual clothing.

As much as I loved seeing him in a suit and tie, there was something about seeing him so casual that made me crazy.

"These are for you," he said handing me the flowers. Grinning, I accepted the flowers from him. I had only ever received flowers from one man my entire life and that was my father.

"Thank you. They're beautiful."

"They're okay in comparison. How did you sleep?"

"All right," I answered. One of his brows rose as he looked at me.

"Just all right?"

"I didn't have my favorite snuggle body," I replied with a smirk, and a grin spread across his face. The night he stayed was the best sleep I've had in years. Some nights he would stay long enough for me to fall asleep, but last night he didn't.

I was devastated he hadn't stayed until I fell asleep last night, but I didn't question him. Edward stepped up another step so that he was closer to me. Even on a lower step he was still taller than me. He lowered his head closer to mine.

"Tonight, I'll hold you until you fall asleep," he whispered. I nodded my head unable to look away from him. His scent consumed me as I observed him watch my mouth. I licked my lips automatically and he groaned in response.

"Oh, will you just kiss her already so we can get out of here," I heard Angela say. Before I could look over Edward's shoulder to glance at her, he gripped my chin between his index finger and thumb.

Then slowly, he lowered his head toward me until our lips touched. It was a soft, simple kiss and yet I felt my body melt against him. He pulled my lip into his mouth, nibbling gently. All too soon he released me and groaned my disappointment.

"Later," he informed me. I nodded my head as I pulled my lip in between my teeth. When he stepped to the side, I blushed fiercely at the audience we apparently had. Angela, Alice, Esme and Mrs. Weber, who by the way, wanted me to start calling her Kathleen, all stood at the bottom of the stairs wearing smiles and sundresses.

"What are all of you doing here?" I asked, surprised to see them all standing in my foyer.

"We're having breakfast and a spa day," Alice chirped extremely chipper.

"A Spa day?"

"Yes, now can you go get dressed," Angela said with a smile on her face.

"Who's going to watch the kids, I mean I…"

"…I'm watching them," Edward said cutting me off. I looked at him totally dumbstruck. Was he seriously offering to watch Sophie and Nicholas?

"Edward, you don't have to."

"I want to, and they seem to like the idea," Edward said, pointing to both a smiling Sophie and Nicky. It was all an appealing idea, but Angela and Alice were treating their mothers to breakfast and a spa day. I felt like I was a charity case, I had no mother so they wanted to drag me along. Of course, I knew that wasn't how they felt, but it didn't change how I felt.

"I don't want to impose on the two of you taking your moms out for Mother's Day and…"

"…Isabella Marie Swan, if you do not take your little tail up those stairs and get dressed, I'll take you over my knee. Now stop talking foolishness. Esme and I would like to spend today with all of our daughters," Mrs. Weber said. I couldn't resist laughing because the last person to call me by my full name was my father.

Normally, I would have tried to come up with more excuses why I shouldn't go, why I needed to be here to take care of Sophie and Nicky, especially today of all days, but I had no excuse.

Sophie and Nicholas looked really excited at the idea of Edward watching them, while Angela and Alice looked like they were not taking _no _for an answer.

"I guess I'll go get dressed then," I replied, and they all cheered as if they just succeeded a victory. I guess in some way they had done just that. I went back upstairs and picked out a beautiful sundress, since it appeared that was the theme.

"Ella, can you promise us something?" Sophie asked, coming into my room as I brushed my hair. I put my brush down and turned to see both her and Nicky standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, sure," I answered wondering what they wanted me to promise them.

"Can you have fun today," she said twisting her hair around her finger.

"Um sure."

"No, we mean it, Bella. You always make sure we have fun, so we want you to have fun," Nicholas told me. I smiled at the two of them. I hated that they were worried about me. They were six, well, seven I guess I should say since their birthday was next month.

I knew I had to grow up fast after the night of our parents' death, but sometimes I forgot they did, too. They heard things a child should never have to hear and it was my job to make sure they never witnessed anything like it again.

"I promise to have so much fun, I'll be smiling for months," I told them. They smiled at me then exited the room. I slipped some sandals on, grabbed my purse and headed back downstairs. I went to talk with Edward before I left. I still felt a little odd leaving him here with them. I found him in the kitchen cooking pancakes while wearing my floral apron.

I might have been only twenty-one, but I was well aware how amazing it was that Edward was a doctor, Mr. Fix It and somewhat of a cook. I had yet to notice one flaw about the man, well other than the baggage known as his ex-wife.

"You look really cute wearing my apron," I said as I watched him. He turned around with that sexy grin on his face.

"You're a comedian now?"

"I don't know, do you like comedians?"

"I like you," he replied with a grin, and for some reason that made me sad. I didn't just want him to like me…I wanted him to…love me. I had never wanted another person's love so much in my life. The thought terrified me. I was still dealing with my own feelings. I ran my fingers through my hair, inhaling a shaky breath.

"We're about to leave. If you need anything just give me a call, and make sure Nicholas takes his medicine with breakfast and…"

"…Bella, relax, okay? They are in great hands, I promise you," he said cutting me off as he took the frying pan off the stove. I nodded my head and started chewing on my lip again. I hadn't noticed he walked over to me until he lifted my face to look at him.

"If you're really uncomfortable with me watching them I could…"

"…No, it's great that you're watching them and they are both so excited about it."

"Then, what's bothering you?" he asked me. I shook my head not wanting to discuss it. I couldn't admit my feelings to him, not yet.

"Bella…" he called to me.

"I'm fine really," I half lied. He cupped my face in his hand then placed a soft kiss on my lips. I moaned falling into the kiss. Surrendering to him in every way I told myself I shouldn't have.

"Hey, love birds, you can do all that later. We have to go," I heard Angela say from behind me. I smiled against Edward's lips. He gave me another quick peck on my lips and then I told the kids goodbye.

I wasn't sure where we were having breakfast but it didn't really matter to me. What surprised me was the limo waiting outside of my house. I looked at all four of the faces smiling back at me.

"A limo?"

"Yeah, a gift from the men in our lives," Esme said taking my hand in hers. The driver opened the door for the five of us and we all climbed in. I had only been in a limo, three times in my entire life. The first time was my parents' wedding day; my mom made me her maid of honor. The second time was when I went on prom and I didn't want to think about the last time since it was my parents' funeral.

Inhaling a deep breath, I turned to look at Mrs. Weber and Esme realizing I never told them Happy Mother's Day.

"Happy Mother's Day, Esme."

"Thank you sweetheart, and thank you so much for those edible arrangements; they were beautiful," she replied.

"And Mrs. Weber…"

"Kathleen…" she corrected and I laughed. I had called the woman Mrs. Weber almost my entire life, so trying to change that habit now was difficult.

"Kathleen, Happy Mother's Day to you, too," I said with a smile.

"Thank you dear, and thank you for the edible arrangements as well," she said. I felt like edible arrangements weren't enough for Esme and especially not for Mrs…I mean Kathleen. They both had no idea what their help meant to me.

"Happy Sister Day," Alice said bouncing up and down as she handed me a little black box. Smiling, I looked from the box to her.

"Not you, too?"

"Of course, you deserve to be catered to today just as much as our mothers," Alice said pushing the little rectangular box my way.

"Alice, I thought we agreed to wait until we were at the restaurant to give her, her gifts. I told you she doesn't accept gifts like normal people," Angela said making everyone in the car laugh.

"I know but I just couldn't wait anymore," Alice replied with a grin. I took the box from her hand and with everyone watching me, I slowly opened it. Inside was a gorgeous silver tennis bracelet.

"It's from all of us in the Cullen family," Alice said with a smile on her voice. I couldn't help wondering if that included Edward, too.

"Alice, I can't take this…" I said trying to hand the box back to her.

"Oh yes you will, and you will wear it, love it and tell everyone your new family gave it to you," Esme replied, and my cheeks heated immediately from my blush.

"This is too much…"

"No, it's not, and you are just lucky Edward and Angela warned me not to get too crazy or you would have the necklace to match it," Alice replied making me laugh.

"It looks just like the one my mom gave me on my sixteenth birthday," I said running my fingers over it.

"Kathleen told me that you sold yours after your parents died because you needed money and didn't have access to your parents' finances," Esme said, and I looked up at her then Mrs. Weber. The moment the limo stopped at a light, I hugged them both.

"Now, I feel like mine won't be nearly as good…" Angela said.

"Yeah, right, yours is much better," Alice informed her. I turned to Angela and she smiled at me

"Close your eyes," she told me.

"Okay," I replied shutting my eyes. I heard some commotion then Angela told me to open my eyes. When I did, the painting my mother painted of her and me sat there looking back at me. Only this time it was framed with something engraved into the wooden frame. Leaning in I read the inscription.

_There is no stronger bond than the one between mother and daughter_

The tears fell from my eyes before I could ever prevent them.

"Mom and I had the painting preserved or whatever the guy called it, you know so that it wouldn't fade throughout the years," Angela said. I hugged my best friend thanking her, and then hugged Mrs. Weber again. I didn't have the slightest idea what I did to have them in my life, but I prayed the universe would allow them to stay.

We arrived outside of a little restaurant and were quickly seated when we went inside. The waiter came over and took our drink orders then walked away.

"Mom, did Emmett call you to wish a Happy Mother's Day?" Alice asked. I watched as a sad look passed on Esme's face.

"Not yet," she answered and Alice looked pissed.

"You would think after five years he would have swallowed his damn pride!" Alice snapped pulling her cell phone out.

"Alice, please don't."

"It's Mother's Day, mom, and last I checked you were his mother," Alice replied. I felt like I was intruding on something in which I shouldn't have been a part.

"Do all of you think it's fair my brother has held the same grudge for the past five years?" Alice asked us.

"Alice, they don't even know what happened," Esme replied before any of us could respond.

"Fine. I'll fill them in. We're all family now. My jackass of an older brother…" Alice began.

"Mary Alice," Esme said in a warning tone.

"Sorry, my older brother, Emmett is this big shot sports agent, and five years ago he met this tall, blonde, beautiful, gold-digging skank of a bitch…"

"Alice, I am not warning you again," Esme said cutting her off. Alice inhaled a deep breath.

"Sorry, I just still don't trust her," Alice said and Esme nodded her head. "He met Rosalie. They dated a few weeks, then showed up to my parents' house for Christmas and revealed that they got married. We had never met this woman before that night, and she somehow dug her nails so deep into my brother that he forgot how to think clearly," Alice continued.

"…Emmett looked so happy that we tried to give it all the benefit of the doubt, but then later that night I caught her coming onto Edward in the kitchen. She was hitting on him, talking about Emmett didn't have to know. Edward lost it and naturally he went to go tell Emmett, only Emmett didn't believe him. Called him a jealous bastard that he found love and that Edward was stuck with the devil's spawn…" Alice continued. I knew without having to ask she was referring to Carmen. I knew that Edward and Carmen had dated years before they were married.

The waiter came over placing our drinks on the table and then took our breakfast order. After he walked away, Alice continued as if we were never interrupted.

"Edward and Emmett got into this huge argument, and Rose lied claiming Edward had come on to her. I snapped, calling her some names and then Emmett lashed out at me. Everything got so ugly that night. Emmett and Edward were like best friends, and that night I watched my brothers' friendship and brotherhood end over a lying skank. Emmett punched Edward that night as if he wasn't his brother," Alice said and I could tell the memory was replaying in her head.

"…my father broke the fight up and tried to get everyone to talk. When Edward and I explained what happened again, Rose called us liars, and then told Emmett that we had attacked her in the kitchen and called her names, and that we told her she didn't deserve to be a Cullen and that we would make sure their marriage was annulled."

"Emmett believed her, as if he hadn't known his own brother and sister his entire life. When I tried to point out to him that Edward and Alice would have never done anything like that he lashed out at me. Carlisle was furious and put him out. We didn't hear from Emmett for an entire year after that, and then one day he called and told me I was a grandmother. I was so happy, I couldn't even begin to explain the joy I felt. I asked to come out and see him, but _she _said she didn't want me anywhere near her home if I couldn't accept her as my daughter-in-law. So, twice a year Emmett flies out with my grandchildren, Emmett junior and Amelia," Esme said continuing the story.

I could see the pain on her face and it made me want to go find Emmett and his wife Rose and give them the ass kicking they both deserved.

"Are you telling me to this very day, Emmett is still upset about what happened that night?" Mrs. Weber asked.

"Yes, because Rose still denies it and Edward and I still swear by it," Alice answered.

"Life is too short to still hold a silly grudge like that," I said. No one was promised a tomorrow, and I couldn't help thinking about how foolish Emmett would feel if his parents were gone tomorrow.

"Give me their address and I'll go kick his wife's ass for you," Angela replied and Mrs. Weber slapped her arm.

"Language, Angela," Mrs. Weber warned.

"I meant butt," Angela corrected making me shake my head.

"No, everything will work its way out someday. I just have to keep praying that Emmett will come around," Esme said. Alice shook her head obviously not seeing it the same way as her mother.

"Maybe we were wrong and she really does love your brother. They've been married this long," Esme said drinking from her glass.

"Maybe she does, but I'm not wrong about what I saw that night and Edward isn't lying about what she did either. I refuse to apologize when we aren't the ones who did anything wrong," Alice replied.

"Okay, enough with the heavy, we're ruining the day with this sour story," Esme said with a forced smile.

"Neither of you are ruining the day," Mrs. Weber told them.

"Yeah, we're family now right?" I asked tossing their words back in their face. They both smiled at me and that was the end of the conversation about Emmett and his wife Rose.

Breakfast was great as we joked about everything we could possibly think of. Mrs. Weber began telling us stories about my mom that I never knew. It made me feel closer to her. As I listened to her tell us a story about this one time she and my mom went out for a girls' night, my phone vibrated in my purse.

I pulled it out and saw it was a text message from Edward.

**_Is it pathetic that I miss you already? ~ E_**

**_No, I miss you, too. Are Sophie and Nicky behaving? ~B_**

**_Of course. Have I told you how much I love these kids, they showed me how to mattress surf down the stairs. Can't believe I never did that when I was a kid. ~ E_**

**_OMG! Edward you didn't! ~B_**

**_LOL, no we didn't but I had you going for a second, didn't I? ~E_**

**_That was not funny. ~ B_**

**_The kids think it was funny. ~E_**

**_All three of you suck. ~B_**

**_LOL, My mother isn't telling any stories about me as a kid, is she? ~ E_**

**_No, but she did show me a naked picture of you as a baby. You had the cutest little butt. ~ B_**

I had to hold in my laughter from the lie I told. I waited for his response and was surprised when Esme said Edward was calling her.

"Hello? No, I didn't show Bella any naked pictures of you as a baby. I will most certainly not embarrass you by telling her how cute your little bottom was when you snatched your diaper off and ran around the house," Esme said and we all laughed at the table. I wasn't sure what his reply was, but she started laughing and then hung up the phone.

"You told him I showed you a naked baby picture?" Esme asked me.

"I was just teasing him, I didn't think he would call you," I replied laughing. Then my phone vibrated in my hand. I saw it was another message from Edward.

**_Very funny, Ms. Swan, you'll pay for that! ~ E_**

**_Promise? ~ B_**

**_Just wait until I get you alone. ~E_**

**_I look forward to it. ~B_**

When I looked up from my phone everyone was smiling at me. I didn't have the nerve to ask why since I saw that creepy look on Angela's face. That look always meant she was about to say something that was going to embarrass the hell out of me. My phone vibrated and I assumed it was another text from Edward only to see it was a text from Angela.

**_You are blushing so hard, it looks like someone colored you with a red crayon. ~ Ang_**

I couldn't resist laughing out loud. After breakfast we left for the Spa. The minute we pulled up outside of the building, I shook my head knowing how expensive this place was.

"There is no way I am letting you all pay for me," I said as we got out of the car. They argued me down at the restaurant about the bill, but I was not about to let them kick out hundreds of dollars at a spa for me.

"We're not paying for you, Edward already did," Alice said walking into the building. I stood there flabbergasted. Edward paid for me?

"Don't look so surprised, Bella. Edward was behind this entire idea of taking you out to be pampered," Angela told me nudging my shoulder.

"Yes, my son is rather smitten with you, dear. I've never seen him like this," Esme added. I started chewing on my lip as we went inside to be pampered. Edward was smitten with me? I wasn't sure exactly what that meant but I liked it.

Alice gave her name and they instructed us to go straight back. We all changed in to the softest, comfiest white robes and were escorted to where we were getting our massages. I had never experienced a massage before, at least not by a professional. My ex...Tyler, would give me massages hoping it would get him in my panties faster.

After the massages, we were treated to manicures and pedicures. Our feet were soaking in warm water while our hands were being massaged.

"Bella, is that you?" I heard a familiar voice ask. I sat up and looked around until my eyes landed on my old college roommate, Kate Borelli. The last time I saw her was the night I packed up and left for the airport to come home.

"Kate," I said, not sure what else she wanted me to say to her. She started walking over to me smiling as if we only seen each other yesterday.

"How have you been?"

"I've been all right I…"

"Alice?" Kate said cutting me off. Alice looked at her for a second.

"Kate?"

"Wow, what are the chances of seeing you both at the same time," Kate said with a little laugh.

"How do you know Bella?" Alice asked.

"She used to be my college roommate. How do you know her?" Kate asked back. Was it such a shocking thing that I knew people?

"So, you were one of the friends that acted like Bella fell off the face of the earth after her parents died?" Angela asked, and I could tell by the look on her face that if she could get out of her chair she would have slapped Kate.

"I tried contacting her," Kate replied, and then she turned and looked at me. "I tried calling you, Bella but…"

"…I changed my number after Tyler broke up with me sending a "Dear Jane" letter," I replied, cutting her off.

"What are you doing here, Kate?" Alice asked her.

"I'm here with my mother, for Mother's Day much like you, Alice, is that a crime?" Kate replied. I was starting to become curious as to how in the hell they knew each other.

"Happy Mother's Day, by the way, Esme," Kate said speaking to Esme now.

"How do you two know each other?" I asked them, and Alice inhaled a deep breath just as Kate replied.

"Her brother Edward is married to my cousin."

"Bella's, Edward?" Mrs. Weber said obviously feeling lost.

"Bella's, Edward?" Kate said, repeating the question with a different tone in her voice, as she looked at me.

"Does Carmen…"

"Doesn't matter, they're getting a divorce," Alice said irritation dripping from her voice.

"I heard that, but you know Carmen. She's denying it until she's blue in the face," Kate replied and this made me uneasy.

"Well, it's true and will be official by next month," Esme said, finally speaking to Kate. Next month? I didn't know anything about this. Would it really be over next month?

"Kate, they said our room was ready," spoke an older woman, walking up behind Kate. She smiled at all of us, that was until her eyes landed on Esme and Alice.

"Oh well, isn't it a small world," she said with a forced smile.

"Too damn small," Angela replied sitting back in her chair. Esme didn't even acknowledge that Kate's mother spoke. It felt extremely intense as they stood there.

I was still completely dumbstruck that my old college roommate's cousin was Edward's soon to be ex-wife. I felt like I was a part of some freaky six-degrees-of-separation experiment.

"Bella, I would really like to catch up with you," Kate said with a smile on her face.

"Um, yeah sure," I said giving her my number.

After she and her mother walked away, Alice and Angela both said, "Don't go out with her," I laughed shaking my head.

"Why not?"

"I don't trust her," they both replied like twins again. I could understand that she was Carmen's cousin, after all. There was nothing stopping her from running and telling Carmen about me. It made me nervous, thinking about how much trouble it could cause Edward in the divorce.

"Bella, you have nothing to worry about. Even if she was here as one of Carmen's little minions, she can't stop the divorce," Esme informed me.

"Thankfully, Jasper explained that the Judge will be practically forcing her to sign those divorce papers next month," Alice said.

"I wish I could see her head spinning when she got that news," Esme replied and she and Alice shared a laugh. Mrs. Weber asked about Edward still being married and Esme quickly washed away her concern.

She pretty much told them everything without actually telling them anything. They had no idea exactly what Carmen had done to Edward, but they got the idea that she was bad news.

After the spa we went to see a musical Esme highly recommended. It was with a small production company but it was amazing. I hadn't watched a musical since my mother died. I even stopped watching the show Glee because I didn't have my mother to discuss it with anymore.

After the musical we had an early dinner. When dinner was over I thanked them for letting me join them today. It was the most fun I could remember having in a long time.

When I arrived home, I found Edward and the kids in the living room watching a movie. They were already in their pajamas, which in itself was a miracle. I honestly expected them to give Edward a hard time. I placed the painting next to the side table in the foyer along with my purse and walked into the living room.

Edward looked away from the television first, as if he knew I was standing here. He gave me that infectious grin and I couldn't resist smiling back.

"Hey," I breathed, honestly not sure what else to say to him. Sophie and Nicholas turned around at the sound of my voice.

"Did you have fun, Ella?" Sophie asked me.

"Yeah, I had a blast."

"Good, we had fun, too. Edward's funny," Nicholas said, and I smiled up at Edward who was grinning at me.

"I hope the two of you were on your best behavior," I said looking at the two of them.

"Of course we were, Ella."

"Yeah, we didn't even fight today," Nicholas added. I looked up at Edward with an eyebrow raised. I found that hard to believe. Sophie and Nicholas fought about everything.

"Best behavior," Edward confirmed and I knew the surprise was evident on my face. They started telling me everything they had done with Edward today. Nicholas was excited about some breathing exercise Edward showed him.

"He said if I do it every day, I could play basketball next year." Nicholas was bouncing excitedly. I smiled knowing how much he wanted to play sports and hated that his asthma was preventing him.

I think what really surprised me the most was Sophie and Nicky asking if Edward could babysit them again. I guess I didn't expect them to take it as well as they did. It made me both nervous and overjoyed about this. Nervous, because some part of me feared Edward walking away. I was overjoyed because his appearance wasn't just bringing smiles to my face but theirs as well.

Edward invited me to sit down next to him as we finished watching the movie. I wasn't even sure what movie it was, but it didn't matter. Sophie and Nicholas fell asleep while lying across the floor as we watched the movie.

Together, Edward and I took them upstairs to bed and tucked them in. I turned Sophie's night light on and Edward slowly closed the door behind us. It was weird how natural it felt to be putting them to bed with him.

We stood in the hallway a little awkwardly. Neither of us sure what we should do next. Edward took my hand into his and I looked up at him.

"Did you enjoy your day off?" he asked, and I smiled because it just occurred to me exactly what today was.

"Yes, it was nice."

"Good, you deserved it."

"Thank you," I sort of whispered as I looked down at our joined hands. He lifted my face to look up into those eyes again. His eyes always said so much without him having to say one word. The only issue I could see is, if I was seeing what I wanted to see or what was really there.

"I haven't given you my gift yet," he said and I looked puzzled now.

"I thought watching the kids, and you paying for the spa, was my gift from you, and what about the flowers?"

"I watched the kids because I wanted to, paying for your day at the spa was my way of taking care of you and the flowers were…well, because I saw them and thought of you," he answered. My cheeks flushed. He was entirely too perfect. I mean who said things like that, without the motives of getting into the other's pants.

Edward and I never went past kissing, and that was because he wanted to wait until all his ties to Carmen were officially severed. I'll admit that was one of the reasons I wanted their divorce to be over.

"So, what's my gift?" I asked breathlessly. Still holding my hand, he guided me into my bedroom. He sat me down on the bed and I began to get anxious of what was coming next. Were we about to move past kissing?

He sat down next to me and pulled a little box from his pocket. It was about the size of a ring box but slightly bigger.

"Edward…" I began nervously not even sure what I was about to say. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to be inside of the box, but because of the size of the box, I was confident it wasn't a ring.

But of course, it wasn't a ring, why would it have been a ring? He was still married, and we were…we were in limbo. He opened the box and inside was the most beautiful pair of earrings I've ever seen in my life. They were a pair of pink and white gold, diamond floral earrings. I traced my fingers over them astounded by how beautiful they were.

"Edward, these are beautiful."

"I remembered you telling me you had a little earring fetish," he whispered as he pulled them out of the box. He motioned to my ears and I nodded my head. Gently, he removed the earrings I was already wearing and placed in the new ones. His fingers traced over my earlobe then down my neck.

I stood up and walked to my mirror to see the earrings in my ears. I grinned at how perfectly they looked hanging from my ears. I watched in the mirror as Edward came up behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist as he placed a kiss on my neck.

"Do you like them?"

"I love them, Edward. I…you didn't have to do this," I told him looking at his reflection. He pushed my hair off my shoulder revealing more of my neck.

"When will you realize everything I do for you is not because I _have_ to but because I _want_ to," he informed me. I fell back against his chest allowing him to hold me tighter.

"Why me?" I asked.

"Why you, what?"

"Why do you want to do all of these things for me? You could have anyone you want. Especially someone with less baggage," I replied. He turned me around so that I was facing him. The look on his face was so serious as he looked at me.

"I didn't choose you. I just took one look at you and then there was just no turning back," he told me, cupping my face in his hand.

"From that very first day I met you, I knew that there was no way I could walk away from you. So I came into the coffee shop every day; now we have more than just that coffee shop. Now, I want to be more for you, do more for you. I wasn't looking for anyone. I was more like trying to avoid everyone. Then, as if someone knew I needed you, there you were. I've never wanted anyone the way I want you," he continued. If anyone ever said you couldn't become breathless from a person's words, they lied.

I had no idea how to respond to him, what to say to him. So instead, I rose up on my toes, fisted his hair in my hand and kissed him in the most passionate way I could.

I felt one of his arms tighten around me, while his hand cupped the back of my neck deepening our kiss. Quickly, I started pulling at his shirt, slipping my hand under it to feel his flesh. I wanted him so badly it hurt.

In one swift motion, he picked me up and I was in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our kiss never broke.

I felt the softness of my mattress under me when he lowered me to the bed. Hovering over me, his hands traveled up the length of my body, balling my dress in his hands as I cradled him between my legs.

He pressed into me and I moaned feeling his erection. It was the most sinfully delicious thing I've ever felt in my life.

"I have to touch you, Bella."

"Please," I moaned running my fingers through his hair. He started placing kisses on my neck, just as I felt one of his hands slip under my dress. His strong hand gripped the back of my thigh as he hitched it over his hip.

I thought I was going combust as his tongue swirled over that little spot under my ear. I lifted my hips from the bed pressing myself harder against him. He growled against my ear.

"Edward, please…" I begged not even sure what I was begging for. His lips lifted from my neck and he looked down into my face. I knew he was thinking about his promise to pursue nothing physical between us until I was officially his and he was officially mine, but I was already his.

He didn't speak as I felt his hand round from the back of my thigh to my inner thigh. His eyes didn't leave mine as his hand traveled up between my thighs until they brushed against my hot middle. I moaned biting down on my lip.

"What do you want, Bella?" he asked, and I didn't know what he wanted me to say, so I said the truth.

"You."

"Where do you want me, here?" he asked just as his finger pressed against my sensitive pearl. A whimper left my lips because I was unable to say anything else.

"Lift," he instructed. I did as told and he slipped my underwear down my legs. My breathing was already starting to increase, anticipation eating me alive. I could feel his fingers ghosting over where I wanted him, where I needed him.

Then the flesh of his fingers met the flesh of my folds. I could have fallen over this cliff from his touch alone.

"Fuck, you're so wet, warm…" he whispered pressing his forehead against mine. Gradually he inserted a finger inside of me and my nails dug into his arm. Gently, his finger moved in and out of me as our breathing mixed together.

When he inserted another finger, my hips lifted from the bed for more. His fingers stirred inside of me, over and over again, coaxing me to give myself to him. Only he didn't understand I was _his_.

"You feel better than I've ever imagined, around my fingers, Isabella," he whispered as his fingers began to move a little faster inside of me. I wasn't going to last much longer, I could feel myself getting ready to fall apart.

Edward cupped my sex in his hand, pressing against my clit and I cried out from the feeling of sheer pleasure that shot through my body, I wanted to hold on to the release I knew was coming, I wanted to hold on to this moment. His fingers pressed against my flesh inside of me and it caused the wildest sensation I've ever felt.

Then once again, my body took control as my hips moved and rocked against his hand. My moans growing louder the deeper I felt his fingers go. My stomach knotted, my back arched from the bed and I locked one of my legs around him.

I was no fool. I knew what an orgasm was. Even gave myself some, but this, this was nothing like what I've ever experienced. My entire body convulsed around his fingers. The moan of pleasure that ripped from my throat could have woken the dead.

Edward must have agreed because his mouth was on mine, muffling my whimpers. His fingers still pumping, curling and teasing inside of me. His hand pressed against my clit, rotating in such a seductive way my hips couldn't resist but to follow him.

"Cum for me, Isabella," he whispered against my lips and like that, I was a goner. I felt like my entire body split in two as I came with an explosive desire I saw stars.

Slowly, his fingers still moved inside of me as I started to come down from my high. His mouth placed hot kisses over my lips, jaw and neck.

"That was the most beautiful thing, I've ever seen," he whispered against my ear. I couldn't talk and I was really hoping he wasn't expecting me to. I felt his fingers slip from my body and I whimpered in disappointment.

"We'll do this again very soon, mi amor, but you have work in the morning," he reminded me, his fingers brushing over my face. I wanted to tell him to screw work, but I knew he was right.

"Get ready for bed, and I'll go clean up downstairs."

"You're not leaving are you?" I asked. I knew I was pouting but I didn't care. He smiled down at me.

"No, if I remember correctly, I promised to hold you tonight," I said. I blushed as he got up from the bed. Then I saw it, the tent that had pitched in his pants. My breathing increased looking at it.

"Edward, what about you?" I asked knowing that had to be painful. Tyler used to complain about me leaving him that way, but I didn't care. It was different with Edward; I _wanted _to please him, too.

"I'll be fine, go get ready for bed," he instructed, placing a kiss on the top of my head. I watched him leave my bedroom and I crawled out of my bed. My legs felt weak as I tried walking to the bathroom. There was no way I could stand up in the shower. I decided to just take one in the morning. I dressed in a tank and a pair of shorts and climbed back into bed.

Edward came into the room a few moments later. It appeared his _problem_ was gone and I wondered how he had gotten rid of it. The idea of him using the downstairs bathroom to jerk off actually turned me on.

He climbed into the bed and cut off the lamp. He pulled me against his body and I turned so that my head was on his chest. I placed my hand near his heart as I looked up at him.

"Thank you."

"For what, the earrings or the…"

"…all of it," I said cutting him off with a smile on my face. He laughed and placed a kiss on my lips.

"You are very welcome," he whispered against my mouth. I placed my head on his chest and he held me tightly in his arms. I wanted nothing more than to sleep wrapped in his arms all night long.

That was the night I became his.

* * *

**_Love them!_**

**_Please leave a review please!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	11. Too good to be true

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Too good to be true_**

**_Chapter 11_**

_...looking at him in my rearview mirror I pulled off now understanding the phrase, too good to be true._  
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_Hours Earlier_

You would think just because you have the day off from work, it would mean you get to sleep in, right?

Wrong!

At least according to one, Mary Alice Cullen. She wanted me up at the asscrack of dawn to go shopping. Grant it, we did have a lot to do before Sophie and Nicky's birthday, but it was too early to shop. Sophie and Nicky seemed to be enjoying camping in their tent in the living room the past four nights with Edward and me, but I knew they were dying to see what their new rooms looked like.

Honestly, I couldn't blame them, I missed my bed. Alice had also started on my bedroom and I had no idea what it looked like in there. I was told Edward was here to make sure none of us went sneaking to take a peek.

Like I really cared _why_ he was here, I was just happy I had an excuse to have him stay the past few nights.

Alice had been working in overdrive to have their rooms ready by their birthday. She had done almost everything without having to involve me and I was enjoying that until it was time to go pick out furniture.

Since I wanted it to be a surprise for Sophie and Nicky, she couldn't ask them. This only meant I had to go with her. I climbed out of the tent Sophie and I shared just as I saw the top of Edward's head pop out of the one he and Nicholas slept in.

I smiled as I stepped over him and headed for the bathroom. I took a quick shower then dressed in a pair of navy blue, skinny jeans, a dark floral blouse and a pair of black sandals. We might have only been going shopping, but it was so rare when I was able to dress in something other than my plain clothes for work.

I ran my fingers through my hair then pulled it up into a messy ponytail. I put on the earrings Edward gave me and then exited the bathroom. Quickly, I was pulled from the bathroom and kissed on my lips. I laughed against Edward's mouth as he kissed me.

"You scared the hell out of me," I mumbled against his mouth. He laughed nibbling on my lower lip.

"Why? Who else do you have snatching you out bathrooms and devouring this succulent mouth of yours?" he asked.

"I don't know, you could have been Ryan Gosling," I teased. He stopped kissing me and looked down into my face.

"You would rather have him kissing you?"

"I don't know, but I know I am not completely against the idea," I joked and he growled, gripping my ass in his hand and pressing us both against the wall.

"You are not funny!"

"I think I'm very funny, not my fault you don't have a sense of humor."

"What? Are you trying for your own stand-up show?"

"Maybe. You think I have what it takes?" I asked with a grin, as I looked up into those hypnotizing eyes. He placed a kiss on my forehead.

"You could just stand on the stage and make a killing," he replied.

"Are you suggesting I strip, Dr. Cullen?"

"What? No! These clothes better not ever come off for any man but me, Isabella Swan," he ordered and I laughed.

"Hmm, they won't be coming off for you until I'm officially yours, isn't that right?" I asked teasingly, but the playfulness fell from his eyes. Shutting my eyes I called myself an idiot for taking that too far.

I knew he was going to worry that I was questioning when his divorce would be final, but I honestly wasn't. I trusted him, and knew he was doing everything he could to make it happen as soon as possible.

"Just two more weeks…"

"I know, Edward, I trust you…" I said placing my finger against his lips. I hated waiting for his divorce. I felt like some homewrecker, even though I knew their marriage was over way before I came into the picture.

"I don't want you to think I am stringing you along."

"I don't think that," I informed him as I pushed my manicured nails into his hair. His eyes closed as I started to scratch his scalp. I knew this relaxed him when he started to stress and overthink everything.

"I want you-I want this-and I want this with you and only you," he expressed to me. I tugged on his hair gently to get his attention. When he looked up at me, that piercing look was in his eyes. Whenever he looked at me like that, I was liable to forget my name.

"I believe you," I said, surprised at how truthful my words were. He leaned down placing another kiss on my lips, this one slightly more passionate than the one before.

Together we walked into the kitchen and I started to make them breakfast. As I cracked the eggs in the bowl, I watched Edward crack his back and groan.

"You know, you don't have to stay here every night and sleep on the floor with us," I reminded him as I started to mix the eggs in the bowl.

"It's my sister that has put the three of you out of your rooms, and I have to make sure you don't go peeking into your room," he said sitting down at the kitchen island.

"Is that the only reason you've spent the night the last four nights?" I asked with a smile.

"I might have some alternative motives," he replied with that sexy grin on his face. I looked away afraid if I didn't I would have asked for a taste of his magical fingers.  
Yes, that's how I was referring to them.

I started breakfast, knowing it was only a moment of time before Alice arrived to drag me out of the house.

"Angela is going to pick them up and take them to school," I said with my back to him.

"I can take them," he said as if it was no big deal. I guess in some way it wasn't.

"You sure that wouldn't be out of your way?" I asked, not asking the question that was really on my mind. More and more he was getting involved in our lives, and it both excited and worried me.

"I pass that way on my way to work, remember?" he asked.

"Right, I forgot," I lied placing the now cooked eggs on three plates. Next, I started on toast and went to the fridge to take out the jelly.

"Bella, talk to me," he said, always knowing when something was on my mind. I closed the refrigerator and turned to look at him.

"It's stupid."

"Nothing you could possibly be thinking is stupid," he said getting up from the stool on which he was sitting. He walked over to me, taking my hand in his.

"I just keep thinking that you're going to get tired of us if we keep depending on you."

"When do you depend on me? I have to practically pull your teeth to get you to even allow me to take them to the store when they want to go. I told you I am here to help you, why can't you believe that I am doing this because I want to," he said, cupping my face in his hand.

"Because they aren't your responsibility," I replied. He inhaled a deep breath placing his forehead against mine.

"I am not here for the three of you because I feel like it is my responsibility or obligation. I am here because I am crazy about the three of you. When I wake up in the morning at my house all I can think about is how soon will I get to see you three; how soon will I get to hear Sophie tell me some ridiculously long joke; how long until I get to talk video games with Nicky and how long until I get to see you smile."

"Sophie really does tell long jokes…" I replied with a giggle and he smiled.

"See, that smile is the one I look forward to seeing every day," he said. My cheeks flushed from his words. "Now will you stop being so hard-headed and stubborn and let me help?"

"I can't make any promises, my dad said I've been hard-headed and stubborn since the day I was born," I replied and he laughed.

"I don't doubt that for one second," he replied. I rolled my eyes and continued making breakfast for the three of them.

Just as I finished, my cell phone rang playing Alice's ringtone, _Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen._ I answered and she let me know she was out front. I placed a plate down in front of Edward and he pulled on my hand placing a quick kiss on my lips.

"I'll see you later," he whispered against my lips.

"Yes, I have to redeem my Queen of Uno status tonight," I replied and he laughed. I grabbed my purse, and then turned to look at him.

"They have to be at school by eight. Don't go all speed demon when you take them," I informed him. He grinned at me nodding his head. Smiling, I placed another kiss on his lips then ran out of the house just as my cell started playing Alice's ringtone again. I walked out of the house the same time I saw Jake walking to his car.

"Morning, Bells," he said with a wave my way.

"Morning, Jake," I yelled back as I walked down my walkway.

"No kids today? Normally, I see them dragging behind you," he joked and I laughed shaking my head.

"Edward's taking them to school for me today," I replied then cursed myself for even giving him that information.  
"Edward? The two of you are getting serious," he said with a concerned look on his face.

"I guess so, I have to go, Jake. You have a great day at work," I told him opening Alice's passenger door and climbing in.

"Ready to shop?" she asked with a huge smile on her face.

"As ready as I'll ever be, and please try to keep in mind I haven't had my coffee yet," I reminded her and she laughed.

"Fine, we'll stop by the coffee shop. I want to meet Lauren anyway. Angela said she's fun to be around," Alice grinned putting the car in drive. I shook my head as we drove off. Of course, Angela thought Lauren was fun to be around, the two of them enjoyed talking about Edward and me. I seriously regretted telling either of them about the night he gave me the earrings.

Like Edward, Alice drove like a madman. It must have seriously been a Cullen thing. We arrived at the coffee shop in no time. When we walked inside, I saw Lauren behind the counter and the new girl, Bree, waiting the tables. I waved at her and she gave a sweet smile waving back.

Mrs. Newton and I hired Bree last week, and so far she seemed to be working out perfectly. The only issue was trying to keep Mike out of her pants. Of course, I was happy he was no longer on my case, but he was not good for Bree.

"How dare you take the day off, and then come in here like some customer," Lauren grinned, as I approached the counter.

"Who me? I have no idea what you're talking about," I joked with a laugh and she flagged me. Without having to ask she started to make my coffee I had every morning. She handed a cup to me when she finished and turned to Alice.

"How can I help you?" she asked with her best smile.

"Lauren, this is Alice. Alice this is Lauren," I said introducing the both of them.

"Oh! You're Dr. Hot Pants' sister!" Lauren practically yelled. I shook my head at the name she continued to call him.

"Yeah, though I never call him that," Alice said with a laugh. Lauren started laughing as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I call 'em like I see 'em and your brother is Dr. Hot Pants."

"Do you call him that to his face?"

"Whenever I spot a hickey he leaves on Bella's neck," Lauren replied as if it was nothing. I was seriously hoping no one else was listening to this conversation.

"I think I may like you, Lauren," Alice chortled.

"Really? Most people hate me when they first meet me," she replied, making both Alice and I laugh.

"That's because you are a bitch, Lauren," I inform her in a whisper. She tossed her head back laughing.

"At least I keep it real from the start," she replied.

"That's true," I responded.

"Bella hated me when I first started working here," Lauren said. Alice looked at me with a surprised look on her face. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I had good reason."

"True, but I swear it was only because I thought you were some goody two shoes who just let people walk all over her. Then when you pulled me to the side and threatened to fire my ass, I fell in love with you," Lauren said and I shook my head.

"Something is mentally wrong with you."

"Probably, but who cares," she replied making us all laugh. We talked for a little while longer until Alice let me know that we should get going.

"Why are you shopping so early?" Lauren asked and I pointed at Alice.

"We're going to this little furniture store in Port Angeles-they have everything," Alice answered. Lauren looked at me as if to ask, was she serious and I nodded my head.

"Better you than me," Lauren replied. I laughed shaking my head.  
Alice and I left to go to the furniture store she suggested. While we were in the car I received a text from Edward, letting me know that he'd dropped the kids off at school. I simply replied with a kissy smiley face.

When we arrived at the furniture store, I had to admit that I could see why Alice wanted to come here. Everything was so amazing, and what really surprised me was that everything was designed and created by the owner.

It didn't take me long to decide what I thought would be great for Sophie and Nicky's bedroom, especially since I knew what she was doing with their rooms. I asked her if she needed me to pick out my furniture too, but she just shook her head and told me I was already covered.

After we finished at the furniture store, we decided to do a little more shopping at the Mall since we were both free for the next couple hours.

"Bella, can I ask you a question?" Alice asked as she looked through the clothes on the rack.

"Uh, yeah sure," I replied a little worried about what she was going to ask me.

"You care about Edward, don't you?" she asked turning to face me. I could feel the surprised expression on my face.

"Yes, of course I do."

"You would never hurt him, would you?" she asked, and now I understood she was protecting her brother. I couldn't blame her. I knew how important it was to protect your siblings.

"No, I could not, nor would I ever hurt Edward," I replied with all the honesty I could force behind my words.

"Good, because he really cares about the three of you, we all do. But he's been hurt, used and played with like some toy, and I can't watch that happen to him again."

"I swear Alice, I would never use Edward. I lov…I care about him deeply," I said, quickly catching myself from confessing my love for her brother. She stood there smiling at me and I was hoping she hadn't caught my slip.

"That's wonderful, he...cares deeply for you, too," she told me with a smirk on her face. Then she started looking through the clothes rack again. We suggested outfits to each other and even tried on some ugly ones just for fun.

"Is that my darling sister-in-law?" I heard a feminine voice say. I didn't know who the voice belonged to, but it gave me chills. I looked up to see the woman Tia from the Gala and another extremely beautiful brunette walking next to her. Alice hadn't turned around yet and by the look on her face she didn't want to.

"Alice, I know you heard me," the brunette said, and I suddenly had this sickening feeling in my stomach.

"Oh, I heard you, Carmen, I was just hoping maybe you would get hit by a car if I wished for it hard enough," Alice replied and my eyebrows shot up at her bluntness.

"Is that how we talk to family now?" Carmen asked, and Alice quickly turned around finally facing her.

"You are not _my_ fucking family," Alice snapped at her. Carmen smiled a little devious smile.

"Such language, Mary Alice, does mommy know you talk like that?"

"Carmen, I am not doing this with you. Why are you here?" Alice asked, irritation all over her face.

"To see my husband," she answered as if that should have been obvious. Jealousy and anger filled my blood hearing her call him _her_ husband.

"Ex-husband," Alice quickly replied with a little glance my way.

"Not if I can prevent it. You know your brother could never resist me, Alice. This will all blow over," Carmen said confidently.

"Not everything blows like you, Carmen," Alice reacted with a smirk on her face. "Whether you like it or not, my brother is done with you, and dying your hair isn't going to change that."

"We'll see," Carmen said looking over at me now. Tia leaned in and whispered in her ear and I watched Carmen's eyes go wide as she looked at me. She looked at Tia and Tia nodded her head. Carmen then looked back at me.

"Who are you?" she asked, pointing her finger at me.

"None of your damn business," Alice responded, stepping in between Carmen and me. Carmen didn't take her eyes off of me.

"He'll never be happy with you. He will use you like the little girl you are and then come crawling back to me," Carmen sneered. Even though Edward told me repeatedly how he felt, her words hurt because some part of me still feared they may be true.

"Carmen, why don't you just go," Alice warned her. Carmen's eyes were still on mine.

"Stay away from my husband, or you'll regret it."

"I can see whomever I want to see," I said, finally finding my voice. I didn't like the idea of her telling me to stay away from him. Edward was mine, and I was his.

"I'm warning you, stay away from him."

"No, I'll be around for as long as he wants me," I replied, getting seriously annoyed with her.

"That won't be long…"

"Maybe, but he'll want me a hell of a lot longer than he's ever wanted you," I snapped, not even sure where all of this was coming from.

"You see this, little girl," she said, holding up her left hand that still showed her wedding ring.

"You are nothing but an easy lay to him, I'm his wife," she continued. I wanted to rip her hair right out of her head.

"You won't be his wife for long. June 13, if I'm correct, will be the day the judge orders you to sign the divorce papers," I said with a grin on my face. She inhaled a deep breath and I could tell I struck a nerve.

"I'm not standing here arguing with a child."

"The only children I see in here are the two of you, coming over here trying to bully your way into getting what you want. I'm not going away and you can't make me."

"We'll see about that," she replied turning and walking away. The moment they walked out of the door Alice turned around with a smile on her face.

"Bella, that was completely amazing to watch. I almost thought that vein on her neck was going to pop when you said Edward would want you a hell of alot longer than he'd wanted her," Alice said. I laughed nervously because I didn't know how true my words may have been.

"Bella, don't listen to anything she's said. Edward is crazy about you," Alice said taking my hand. I nodded my head and then lied telling her I had to use the bathroom. She must have gotten the idea that I wanted to be alone because she didn't follow me.

I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I couldn't see what he saw in me. Carmen was mind blowing. It was one thing for me to believe that he wanted me when I had no idea what Carmen looked like, but now I couldn't see it.

I exited the bathroom and found Alice on the phone at the same clothes rack where I left her.

"I'm not sure, but you should talk to her. Oh, here she is, hold on," Alice spoke into the phone, and then she handed it to me. I looked at her confused.

"It's Edward, he wants to talk to you," she said. Slowly, I took the phone from her hand and placed it against my ear.

"Hello?"

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied chewing on my lip.

"Please don't lie to me, Bella."

"Edward, I'm fine really…" I lied again. He blew a long breath into the phone.

"I had no idea she was coming to Washington, Bella. I would have told you if I knew."

"You don't have to tell me anything, Edward."

"Bella, please don't be like this. I don't know what she said to you, but she's a manipulative bitch who will say anything to get her way."

"She still wears her wedding ring," I said not sure why.

"I don't care because I don't want to be with her. I want to be with you, just you."

"She's pretty."

"You're the most beautiful person in the world to me," came his reply. I didn't say anything else; I didn't know what to say.

"Come by the clinic when you and Alice return to Seattle, please?" he asked, and I could hear agony and fear in his voice.

"I don't want to disturb you while you're working."

"Forget about work. I need to see you, Bella. Please," he begged and I couldn't tell him _no_.

"Okay, I'll call you when I'm on my way."

"Thank you," he replied. I didn't say anything as I handed the phone back to Alice. She placed it against her ear and I could hear Edward's voice through the phone. I don't know what he said.

Alice replied by saying, "I know you do, Edward. You have to just make her understand and believe that." I wasn't sure who they were talking about, but I was positive it was about Carmen. Alice ended the call and gave me a sweet smile.

"He's worried about you," she informed me.

"I'm fine."

"You know, you're a really horrible liar," she said, and I smiled, remembering my mom saying that to me all the time whenever I said I was fine.

"Carmen is…she's educated, gorgeous and they have history. She's his wife," I said, and Alice shook her head at me.

"Carmen is a selfish, egotistical, pompous, two-timing slut. She hid it well before Edward married her, but now she couldn't hide that kind of ugly from him if he was blind, deaf and stupid. Edward will never want her back; he would first have his brain removed the way the Egyptians did it," Alice explained, and I couldn't resist the giggle that erupted from my mouth.

"He cares about you, Bella, more than you could possibly know."

"You really think so?"

"Believe me, I know so," she replied with knowing smile. We finished doing a little more shopping and I received a text message from Edward.

**_You brighten my day everytime I see you ~ E_**

Chewing on my lip I didn't reply, I just slipped my phone into my purse. I wasn't sure what to say to him. I wasn't upset with him, but facing off with Carmen made me realize I didn't need any added drama in my life. Alice and I continued shopping until she told me she had to meet Jasper at his office.

I was trying to stay out as long as possible since I knew Angela had already picked up Sophie and Nicholas since they got out of school early. When I got back into Alice's car, I pulled out my cell phone and saw that I had five text messages from Edward.

**_I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy ~ E_**

**_You're the reason my life feels so perfect ~E_**

**_I start my day with you on my mind and end my day with you in my dreams ~E_**

**_You make me want to be a better man just so I can be more worthy of you ~E_**

**_Because of you, I believe in the possibility of soulmates again ~E_**

I could feel the tears threatening to fall from my eyes as I read each text message. I didn't understand how he was able to say things like this to me while still being married to her. I believed he didn't love her, but she was still his wife.

I didn't say anything to Alice as she drove me back to my house. When we arrived, I thanked her for the day out, then climbed out of her car. I didn't bother going inside, I just climbed into my car so that I could go pick the kids up from Angela's place.

I knew I told Edward I would go see him, but I couldn't. Not now. I sat there in the car and thought about all that Carmen had said. What if she caused trouble with Emily and the court, regarding me gaining custody of Sophie and Nicholas? I remembered Edward telling me she was a lawyer and that meant she knew the law a hell of alot better than I did.

The tears started to fall down my face and I let them. I jumped when a loud knock sounded on my window. I looked up to see Jake standing there with a concerned look on his face. I wiped away my tears and rolled my window down.

"You all right, Bells? Leah said you've been sitting here with the car on for the past ten minutes," he said. I looked over his shoulder and saw his wife Leah standing there. I waved at her and she waved back.

"I'm fine."

"You're lying? Are the kids okay?"

"Yeah, they're okay."

"Then, what's the matter? Did that guy Edward do something to you?"

"What? No, he didn't do anything to me."

"Bella, you know I've lived next to you since you were a teenager. I've had dinner with your parents, went fishing with your father. I don't mean to pry I'm just worried about some guy taking advantage of you," Jake said. I shook my head not understanding why everyone was so concerned about my love life.

"Edward wouldn't take advantage of me."

"Leah and I are just worried about you," he informed me. Leah hadn't said much to me since my parents died, but that was more so my fault. I blamed her for not doing something, for not hearing my parents' screams and calling the police sooner.

I made her feel like everything was all her fault. She kept her distance, always sending Jake to check on us.

"Thanks, Jake, you too, Leah," I said over his shoulder and she smiled at me. I told them both I had to go pick up the kids then pulled out of my driveway.

When I arrived at Angela's place, she was sitting on the porch with Sophie and Nicholas playing in the front yard. I parked my car and climbed out. Sophie and Nicky both greeted me with smiles, but never stopped playing with Angela's neighbors' kids. I sat down next to Angela watching them play.

"What's the matter?" Angela asked me.

"Nothing," I lied. I wasn't even sure why I lied since I knew I would tell her everything. My cell phone vibrated in my hand and I saw it was another text message from Edward.

**_You're the one thing I'm most thankful for having in my life ~E_**

I felt my cheeks flush as I placed my phone face down.

"Okay, now I know something is wrong?" Angela said and I looked up at her.

"What?"

"Don't _what _me, I know that was Edward who just texted you because you blushed, but the fact that you didn't reply lets me know something is wrong," she said, knowing me internally too damn well. I began telling her about my run in with Carmen and what was worrying me.

"Are you worried she'll try to mess with the custody hearing, or are you worried Edward will go back to her?"

"A little of both I guess," I replied exhaling a stressful breath.

"First of all, I should slap you for even thinking Edward would go back to her, next do you think Edward would really allow her to interfere with you getting custody of them. You told me yourself he practically cursed Emily out for you; what do you think he would do to Carmen if she even sneezed in that direction?"

"I know, but Ang, she's his wife."

"So what? She's about to be his ex-wife in a matter of weeks. She's threatened by you, Bella, so she's going to say whatever she has to say to try and scare you off."

"It might work."

"I won't let it. You love him."

"What?" I asked surprised by her words.

"You can fool everyone else, but you're not fooling me, Bella Swan."

"Angela I don't…" I stopped before I even let the lie leave my mouth. I sat back in the chair and watched the kids run back and forth while they played freeze tag.

"You do, and that is why you shouldn't let her run you off. He wouldn't let you go without a fight first anyway."

"I don't even know how it happened. I didn't want to fall in love, Ang," I said feeling like I might start to cry again.

"Remember what my mom told us when we were teenagers?" she asked me.

"Love comes when it's ready, not any sooner and not any later," we both said at the same time.

"Why is life so complicated?" I asked chewing on my lip.

"Because God has a twisted sense of humor," she replied with what my mom used to say to us when we asked why life was so unfair.

"I wanted to rip her hair out of her head when she told me to stay away from him," I confessed.

"So why are you doing exactly what she told you to, then?"

"What?"

"You won't go to see him, after he asked you to."

"I just need to think, Ang," I replied shaking my head.

"I know your kind of thinking and all you're going to do is make yourself believe some idiotic story to talk you out of pursuing this any further."

"I hate that you know me so well," I said with a smile and she laughed.

"Go see him, Bella, he's probably going crazy in that place waiting to hear from you," she said, and I knew she was probably right.

"Mind watching the kids a little longer?"

"Of course not, go ahead," she told me. I told Sophie and Nicky I had to make a quick run but that I would be back to pick them up. I honestly don't think they even heard me or noticed I left. I called Edward to let him know I was on my way but he didn't answer. I knew he was probably with a patient so I left a message.

It didn't take me long to get to the clinic. I parked next to Edward's car and sat there for a few minutes to pull myself together. I knew I was just more than likely overthinking everything. I climbed out of the car and went inside.

"Is Edward busy?" I asked Jessica, not in the mood to deal with whatever smart remark she had today.

"Yeah, he told me to tell you to go straight back to his office," she replied with a roll of her eyes. I proceeded back to his office and when I reached it I could hear muffled voices. They sounded to be arguing. Slowly I opened the door just as I heard a familiar voice say.

"…but I love you, Edward, please give us one more chance…"

"...Leave, Carmen," came Edward's harsh reply and I pushed the door open some more just in time to see Carmen grip Edward's face between her hands and kiss him. I felt like I was going to throw up. I gasped in shock just as Edward pushed her off of him.

He turned, seeing me and I saw the look of shock and fear on his face.

"Bella," he called to me but I just shook my head. Oh my God, I could never un-see what I just saw and it was killing me. The anger in me was over the top, and I wanted to strangle her. Quickly, I stepped back shutting the door and speed-walked up the hallway, Oh my God was all I could think. I could hear them arguing again and Edward yelling at her to get the fuck out of his way.

"Bella!" he shouted to me, but I kept going as the tears started to sting my eyes. I had to fight to keep Sophie and Nicky. I didn't have it in me to fight for Edward, too.

"Oh, Bella, I meant to tell you he was back there with his wife," Jessica said as I walked past her. Those words only cut me deeper as I rushed out of the clinic and went to my car. Oh my God, I couldn't stay. Quickly, I hopped into my car just as Edward came rushing out of the clinic with Carmen right on his tail.

"Bella, baby, please, I can explain," I heard him say but I couldn't, not while she was still here grinning at me like she won. I knew it was partly childish that I was running, but I couldn't stay not right now.

"Forget about her, Edward! I'm your wife, me!" Carmen yelled.

"Shut the fuck up, Carmen!" he yelled at her. I started pulling out of my parking space and Edward started chasing after my car begging me to stop. The tears stung my eyes as I continued until I was out of the parking space.

Then looking at him in my rearview mirror I pulled away, now understanding the phrase, too good to be true.**_  
_**

* * *

**_Just relax it's not what you think..._**

**_Please leave a review please!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	12. Mi Amor

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Mi Amor_**

**_Chapter 12: Edward POV_**

I took my phone out of my pocket and I texted Bella for the seventh time. She had yet to reply to me and it was killing me. Each message was how I felt about her, how she made me feel.

**_You're the one thing I'm most thankful for having in my life ~E_**

I hated that she had a run-in with Carmen, and I hated it even more that I wasn't there. I sat back in my chair seeing I had at least one more patient for the day. They weren't due to arrive for at least another hour.

I was hoping Bella would arrive soon. Alice told me that she had already dropped Bella off at home. I told Jessica to send Bella straight back when she arrived. Then I could hear arguing coming from the front. Quickly, I jumped up thinking it must have been Bella arguing with Jessica. I rushed up the hall and stopped when I saw it was Carmen.

"Oh, there's my no good fucking husband!" she shouted as if there weren't children in the waiting room. My nose flared as I glared at her.

"Carmen, you need to leave," I sneered.

"Why? Is your little tramp back there, or are you fucking this one right here, too," she snapped back. I walked over to her so that no one else would hear what I was about to say to her.

"You need to fucking leave, now!"

"No! I think everyone here should know you like robbing the cradle!" she yelled. I gripped her arm and began dragging her back to my office. I practically tossed her inside of the room, slamming the door behind us.

"What the hell is your problem? Have you been drinking?" I asked, smelling the alcohol on her breath.

"I had a few cocktails …. cocks! Have you given that girl your cock, Edward?"

"Carmen..."

"Don't lie to me; how long have you been fucking that little girl!" she yelled at me.

"What the hell are you talking about, Carmen?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, that little skank I saw with your bitch of a sister."

"Watch how you fucking refer to Bella and Alice, Carmen. You're already on thin fucking ice!" I warned her.

"All this time you made it seem like it was my fault you wanted this divorce, but you were cheating on me all this time!"

"Carmen, I never fucking cheated on you! Bella has nothing to do with why I'm divorcing you. I. DON'T. WANT. YOU. ANYMORE. Get that through your damn head."

"What? Is it you wanted someone younger?"

"Damn it! Bella doesn't have anything to do with this!"

"She has everything to do with it! You're leaving me for her!"

"I'm leaving you because you're a selfish bitch who doesn't care about anyone but yourself!" I yelled at her.

"I can change, Edward, I want to work on this."

"We're over, Carmen; there isn't a damn thing to work on."

"…but I love you, Edward, please give us one more chance…"

"...Leave, Carmen," I barked back. I saw her eyes look over my shoulder and before I could turn to see what she was looking at, she gripped my face in her hands and kissed me. I felt like I was going to vomit in my mouth as I pushed her off of me, just as I heard a gasp.

I turned, seeing Bella standing there at the door with the look of shock and disgust on her face.

"Bella," I called to her, but she just shook her head and shut the door. I moved to go after her but Carmen got in my way.

"Forget about her, Edward, we have to work on our marriage."

"Get the fuck out of my way, Carmen!" I yelled pushing her off of me. I couldn't lose Bella, not over this. I opened the door and shouted out her name.

"Bella!" but she just kept on walking faster. I started to follow after her, but Carmen was pulling on my arm slowing me down. I pushed her off of me as I continued following behind Bella.

"Oh, Bella, I meant to tell you he was back there with his wife," Jessica said, with a sarcastic little smile on her face when Bella went past her desk. I growled pushing Carmen off of me again when I glared at Jessica. I rushed out of the clinic, Carmen still pulling on me.

"Bella, baby, please I can explain," I said hoping she would give me the chance. I saw her face as she got into the car and saw the tears on her face.

"Forget about her, Edward. I'm your wife, me!" Carmen shouted from behind me.

"Shut the fuck up, Carmen!" I yelled as Bella started pulling out of the parking space. I started trying to chase after the car begging her to stop, but she didn't.

This wasn't happening? I was about to lose _Bella_ because of _Carmen_. I couldn't let that happen, I couldn't come so close to real love and lose it because of _her_. Carmen. She stood there screaming at me to listen to her but I couldn't. I watched Bella drive off and I felt like my heart had been ripped right out of my chest.

"Edward, is she why you came to Seattle? She's the reason you want the divorce," Carmen shouted.

"No! I hate you, that's why I want the fucking divorce, Carmen! When will you get it through your damn head that I don't fucking want you anymore!" I screamed at her. She stood there speechless as she looked at me.

"You hate me?"

"Yes, yes I fucking hate you. I regret the day I ever asked you out, I regret the day I asked you to marry me, but most of all I regret wasting so much of my life with you," I informed her. I pushed past her to go back inside and get my car keys. I needed to go after Bella. I needed to find her and explain this.

"Edward, what is all this commotion?" Dr. Cooper asked as I walked back inside the clinic. I didn't answer him; I just walked back to my office and removed my lab coat and took my car keys out of my desk drawer.

"Edward."

"What Frank?" I snapped as I looked at him. He stood there obviously surprised by my outburst.

"I'll cover the rest of the patients," he said. I didn't reply as I watched him walk out of my office. I grabbed my things and left my office slamming my door behind me. I walked past Jessica and couldn't help noticing the pleased look on her face.

"I don't want to see you here tomorrow, Jessica."

"What?"

"I'm sick and tired of your juvenile behavior and I want your things cleared out by tomorrow," I informed her. I heard what she shouted to Bella when she ran out and I wasn't tolerating anyone getting enjoyment from my Bella's pain.

"But Dr. Cullen, I…"

"…I don't care, Jessica," I said cutting her off as I walked out of the clinic. The moment I walked outside I saw that Carmen was still here.

"What Carmen?

"Are you really going to give up on our marriage?"

"What marriage?" I barked at her. She flinched stepping back away from me some.

"I know I've made some mistakes but…"

"Mistakes? You call fucking another man behind my back a mistake? Or how about intentionally faking a pregnancy, was that a mistake?" I asked, the anger in me reaching its boiling point.

"That should have proven to you just how much I love you and how far I was willing to go to save our marriage," she replied with a serious look on her face.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. Carmen, you've never loved another human being in your entire fucking life. All you've ever cared about was yourself and the fact that you think what you did was proving your love to me, proves that you're more fucked up than I ever believed," I told her, unlocking my car door and climbing into my car.

"Are you going after her?"

"Yes."

"Do you love her?" Carmen asked, and I didn't have to think about my answer, because I've known I've loved Bella from the moment I watched her dance in the rain and tell the neighborhood I bet her at _UNO_.

"More than I've ever loved anyone," I answered shutting my door. Quickly, I pulled out of the parking spot and drove off leaving Carmen there alone. I called Bella while I drove but she didn't answer.

I didn't know where she went but I was checking everywhere. I drove by the coffee shop first and went in to see if Lauren heard from her.

"Hey, Dr. Hot Pants, I'm surprised to see you in here," Lauren grinned as I approached the counter.

"Hey, Lauren, have you seen Bella?" I asked.

"Not since this morning. Why? What's wrong? It's not the kids, is it?" she asked. Pulling at my hair I shook my head.

"No, nothing like that."

"Did you try calling her?"

"Yeah, but she's not answering my calls."

"What did you do, Edward?" Lauren asked, calling me by my first name for the first time.

"Can you just tell her to call me if you talk to her," I pleaded.

"Edward, I like you, but if you broke my girl's heart, I will do the hokey pokey on your chest, do you hear me?" she snarled. I nodded my head and left the coffee shop while calling Bella again.

"Bella, call me back, please. I can explain; it's not what you think," I sighed, then hung up the phone. I hopped back into my car and drove to her house next. I didn't see her car in the driveway, but speculated maybe she parked it in the garage so I wouldn't think she was here. I parked and climbed out of the car.

"Edward!" I heard someone call to me. I looked up to see Jacob heading toward me. I wasn't in the fucking mood to put up with him.

"Not now, Jacob."

"She's not home," he said, as I started walking up her walkway. I stopped and began pulling at my hair.

"What the hell did you do to her?" he asked.

"You've seen her?"

"Earlier, she was sitting in her car crying. What did you do to her?" he asked me again.

"I didn't do anything to her, it was a misunderstanding," I replied, not that I owed his ass any kind of explanation.

"If you hurt her I will kick your ass, Edward."

"Jake, I don't see how Bella is any concern to you," I sneered standing my ground in front of him.

"My concern? I've known Bella since her parents moved into this house; she was fourteen when they moved in. She used to come over and help my wife Leah around the house while I was overseas. I knew her father; her mother, and I won't just sit back and watch some guy try to take advantage of her while she is in such a vulnerable state. She's young and naive and can't see that a guy your age only wants to add a twenty-one-year-old girl to your bedpost."

"You don't know shit about what I want from Bella. I want nothing but the best for her and those kids. I want to be there for her, to help her. You claim you're concerned about her, do you know she's going through a battle with the State to keep custody of Sophie and Nicky? I care about Bella more than anyone could ever fucking comprehend."

"The State is threatening to take them away from her?" he asked and I nodded my head.

"Put her on some shit like a _trial run _for two years," I replied. I knew she would probably be upset that I told him, but I could tell that Jake actually cared about Bella and the kids.

"They can't take those kids away from her," he said looking angry now.

"They won't if I have anything to say about it."

"Tell her, Leah and I are here to help her."

"I'll tell her that when I find her," I replied.

"Last I saw her she said she was going to pick the kids up," he told me. I looked up at him realizing that he was trying to help now. He must have noticed the surprise on my face.

"You obviously care about her, just don't make me regret not kicking your ass right here and now," he said and I shook my head.

"You just be grateful I didn't kick your ass," I replied heading back to my car. He laughed and I hopped in heading for Angela and Mrs. Weber's place. When I pulled up I saw Sophie and Nicky outside playing.

This gave me hope that maybe she was here. I climbed out of the car and Sophie instantly spotted me first.

"Hey, Edward," she said running over to me.

"Hey, Soph, how was school today?" I asked giving her a hug.

"It was okay, I learned a new joke today. Want to hear it?" she asked me with a smile. I needed to find Bella, but I could never turn Sophie and one of her long jokes away. I grinned down at her,

"Let me hear it."

"Once a girl and a boy were eating burgers. The boy said to the girl, 'I need to tell you something!' The girl said 'Don't talk to me while I'm eating, when I finish my burger then you can talk.' So when they'd finished eating the girl asked the boy 'now what did you want to say?" The boy said "um, I was going to say that there was a cockroach in your burger!' Isn't that funny?" she asked laughing. I laughed and told her it was hilarious.

"Edward, I signed up for soccer this summer," Nicholas said running over to me.

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, will you come to my games?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I told him. He smiled at me then went off to finish playing. I looked up just in time to see Angela on the porch. I told Sophie to go play while I talked to Angela.

"Okay…Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to spend the night at our house again?" she asked, and it killed me that I didn't have an answer to that question. I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I would like to, but I have to talk to your sister first to see what she thinks," I replied. She smiled up at me.

"She'll say yes, she likes you," Sophie told me then giggled as she ran off. I looked up to see Angela standing there with her arms crossed and looking pissed off. I walked up the steps onto the porch and she motioned for me to take a seat.

"Angela, I just want to talk to Bella, is she here?"

"Sit down, Edward," she replied. I could tell by the tone of her voice I wasn't getting my way. I sat down and she sat down next to me.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Did you talk to Bella?"

"Yes, but I want to know from you, what happened," she told me. I nodded my head. I leaned forward in my seat, resting my elbows on my knees while trying to rub the stress from my face.

"Bella showed up while Carmen was there…"

"I got that much from Bella," she replied. I blew out an irritated breath. I didn't want to be sitting here talking to Angela about this. I wanted to talk to Bella; I needed to talk to Bella.

"She walked in when Carmen kissed me…"

"…You kissed her?"

"No!" I shouted catching the kid's attention. I sat back in the chair pulling at my hair and inhaled a deep breath before I continued. "She kissed me, and honestly I think she only did it because she knew Bella was standing there."

"Bella's really upset," Angela said as if I didn't already fucking know that.

"That's why I need to find her and explain."

"Edward, Bella is my best friend, she's always been like a sister to me."

"I know, Ang. You have to believe me, I would never hurt her. That shit was just a stunt pulled by Carmen," I said hoping to get her to tell me where Bella had gone.

"I don't know what happened between you and your ex-wife and I don't need to know because that is your business. But if you are stringing Bella along in some sick game between you and your ex-wife, I will remove your balls and use them on a pool table," Angela warned me. I couldn't resist smiling at that threat.

"Angela, I would never use Bella, I love her," I said with a smile expanding on my face. The first time I admitted that out loud was to Alice, after she pulled it out of me.

"I knew you did, I just wanted to see if you knew," Angela said and I looked over at her. She was smiling at me. "She's not upset with you, Edward, believe it or not. She's confused, very confused."

"Do you know where she is?"

"No, she wouldn't tell me. She said she knew I would tell you where she was, and she wasn't ready to talk to you yet," Angela told me and I cursed under my breath.

"She's going to over analyze it, and I'm afraid I could lose her if she does," I admitted out loud.

"She does have a habit of over analyzing situations, but, Edward you have to wait for her to come to you."

"I have to explain this to her, Angela. You didn't see her when she left. The way she looked at me," I said remembering the disgust I saw on her face.

"Try her mom's studio. Sometimes she goes there when she wants to feel closer to Renee," Angela told me. I nodded my head trying to figure out why I hadn't thought of that. I thanked Angela and quickly left.

I drove like a madman through the streets. When I pulled up outside of the studio I knew she only parked on the side of the building, and I didn't see her car anywhere. Running my fingers through my hair I was feeling stressed the hell out.

I couldn't lose her over Carmen. If I did, I was liable to murder Carmen for her little stunt. I called Bella's cell phone again and it rang a few times then went to voicemail.

"Baby, please call me. I'm getting worried," I said leaving a message. I had no idea where she was, and apparently neither did anyone else. I didn't know what to do, so I decided to go ask the one man that could give me advice, my father.

It didn't take me long to get to my parents' house from the studio, probably because I was still driving like a maniac. I saw my father's car parked out front and parked my car behind his. Before I climbed out, I tried calling Bella again and again it rang a few times and went to voicemail.

"Can you at least text me to let me know you're all right?" I implored then hung up the phone. Angela said Bella wasn't upset with me, but it sure as hell felt like she was upset with me. My phone vibrated in my hand and I jumped from eagerness hoping it was Bella.  
Only it was fucking Carmen.

**_I won't lose you to her ~ C_**

**_You already lost me before her, nothing you do or say will bring me back ~ E_**

**_We were happy once ~ C_**

**_No, you were happy making me miserable. We're done Carmen, it's been that way for years and you know it~ E_**

**_I'll fight for you until there isn't a breath left in my body, Edward. I hope your little girl friend is up for it ~ C_**

**_Stay the fuck away from her, Carmen ~E_**

I replied and she didn't reply after that. Pulling at my hair I finally climbed out of the car.

Opening the door to my parents' house, I was hit with the smell of something cooking. I shut the door behind me and walked up the hall to my father's office. I knocked on the door seeing him sitting at his desk.

"Edward," he said with surprise in his voice.

"Hey dad, are you busy?" I asked. He pulled his glasses off placing them on the desk.

"No, come in," he told me. I walked in and sat down on the sofa in the room. He didn't say a word as I sat there and just started telling him everything that happened.

"I can't lose her, dad. Especially not over Carmen, What should I do?" I asked. When I looked up at him he looked like he was about to laugh.

"Dad, this isn't funny," I said, not appreciating that he thought it was. He nodded his head toward the door and I turned around to see Alice, my mother and Bella. She gave me a warm smile and my heart damn near jumped out my chest right into her hands.

"I wasn't laughing at you, Edward. It's just that since about the tail end of your story, they've been standing there," my father chortled. I didn't take my eyes off her, I couldn't.

"I'll leave you two to talk," I heard my father say. I watched from the corner of my eye as my parents walked away. Alice whispered something to Bella before she walked away as well.

"I was worried about you," I informed her as she chewed on her bottom lip like she did whenever she was nervous or worried.

"Did Angela tell you I was here?" she asked and I was confused.

"Angela said she didn't know where you were."

"You believed her?" Bella asked back with a smirk on her face. I shook my head realizing that was really stupid of me. Of course Angela knew where she was, she was her best friend and she was watching the kids.

"I didn't mean to make you worry," she said coming into the room. She sat down next to me and it took everything in me not to pull her closer. We needed to talk I knew that.

"Bella, I didn't kiss…"

"…I know," she said, cutting me off. "…I was shocked, hurt, and angry. There were just so many emotions going through me I couldn't deal with it. It scared the hell out of me how angry I felt. All I wanted to do was kill her, I mean seriously strangle her. Then I would have been risking everything if I let her get to me like that. I knew if I stayed I would have done something that could cause me to lose them, so I ran," she told me looking down at her hands.

"You have to know how sorry I am, I would never want to hurt you."

"I know that, too. I was confused with how I felt. I mean, I know you say you don't want to be with her, but who was I to feel jealous because your wife kissed you. She's your wife…"

"She's nobody and you are everything to me. I'm sorry this even happened."

"Edward, there were so many things going through my mind when I saw her kissing you. I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. I was so afraid that you were going to choose her. That maybe you would consider giving her another chance. I know she did horrible things, but I couldn't help thinking about how much of a good man you are and that maybe you would want to try with her again," she said while looking down into her hands. I lifted her face so that she was looking into my eyes when I spoke to her.

"Bella, you obviously still don't see how much you mean to me. When I wake up you are my very first thought, I can't wait to hear your voice, see your smile. I'm a good man but I'm an even better one with you," I informed her. I wanted to tell her I loved her. Show her that she was the only woman with any claim on my heart, but now wasn't the time. I refused for the first time I told her I loved her, to be tainted by the shit storm Carmen caused.

"The only relationship I want to try is ours; the only one I want to be in is ours; the only woman I want to be with is you," I continued.

"You make my head spin when you say things like that," she replied with a smirk and her blush.

"Get used to it because it's the truth."

"I'm sorry for freaking out and running off," she said. I rubbed my thumb over her cheek as I looked into her eyes.

"Never apologize for how you feel," I said and she smiled. I ran my thumb over her lips, the desire to kiss her becoming unbearable.

"Kiss me," she breathed and that was enough for me. I leaned in placing my lips on hers. Her mouth parted slightly allowing me to slip my tongue inside. She moaned when our tongues touched. Holding her face to mine, I kissed her with everything I had in me. Hoping the kiss would convey my feelings for her.

"Mom, everything's okay again!" I heard Alice yell. Bella and I pulled apart laughing as Alice stood in the doorway with a smile on her face.

"Do you want to go to my house and finish talking, we'll never get any privacy here," I asked and she laughed nodding her head.

"I have my car though," she said. I groaned because I didn't want to be away from her not even for the drive to my house.

"We'll come back and pick it up," I said. She nodded her head agreeing. We left my parents' place and I held her hand the entire drive to my house.

"Lauren called me and said you stopped by the coffee shop."

"Did she also tell you she threatened to do the hokey pokey on my chest if I broke your heart?" I asked and Bella started laughing.

"Guess you better not break my heart then."

"Believe me, I wasn't planning on it. I have much bigger and better things planned for your heart, mi amor," I replied making her blush again. As soon as I pulled up outside of my house, I heard Bella's gasp.

"You live here?" she asked. I laughed pulling into the driveway.

"Yes."

"Why are you always at my house instead of here?" she asked making me laugh.

"Because your house has something mine doesn't have," I replied turning the engine off.

"This house is huge, Edward, what could my house possibly have that yours doesn't?"

"You and the kids," I answered. Her blush was instant and bright as it filled her cheeks.

"There you go again making my head spin," she replied. We both climbed out of the car and headed towards my front door. I unlocked the door and we went inside.

"Edward, this house is beautiful and you live here alone?"

"Yeah, my grandparents left it to me. Even after my parents left Washington, my grandparents hoped we would come back eventually," I informed her. I watched her as she started walking around the house. Following behind her as I told her what each room was. I wasn't surprised that she fell in love with the study since it was filled with bookshelves.

We continued the tour upstairs and she looked into every room until we reached my bedroom. She turned around smiling up at me.

"This must be your room?"

"What gave it away?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe that it's the one with the brick fireplace and huge bed, also it doesn't look anything like the other bedrooms," she teased. I laughed showing her inside the room.

"Alice couldn't wait to redecorate it when she found out I was moving back to Washington."

"By any chance does she decorate for a living?"

"You would think so, but no. She's an art dealer," I answered, and Bella shook her head.

"Your room is amazing; I'll never understand why you chose to sleep on my living room floor for the past four nights."

"Because that's where you were," I replied, coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist. I nipped at her ear, and she fell back into my chest.

"Did you call Angela and let her know I was holding you hostage for a while?" I asked. She laughed shaking her head.

"You can't be holding me hostage if I want to be here," she cooed, and I held her tighter against my body.

"So you want to be my prisoner?"

"I want to be whatever you want me to be," she purred. Slowly, I began placing kisses along her neck.

"I only want you to be mine," I whispered against the thin flesh behind her ear. I swirled my tongue over that spot knowing how it drove her crazy.

"I am yours," she breathed out. I turned her around in my arms needing to look her in the face. I saw the truth of her words in her eyes and I felt like the happiest man alive.

"I'm yours for as long as you want me."

"That's going to be a really long time, Dr. Cullen," she replied with her beautiful smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I moaned. She rose up on her toes and I met her placing a kiss on her lips. Her arms wrapped around my neck and I pulled her tighter against my body. She pressed into my growing erection and I groaned. I wanted her so bad it was killing me.

"Edward…" she moaned against my lips and I pressed her harder against me. I wanted her to feel what she was doing to me. I could kiss her for hours and not have nearly enough of her. I needed to touch her, I always felt like I needed to touch her. Watch her come undone because of me.

She started pulling at my shirt and I did the same. Slipping her hands under my shirt she kissed me with more aggression. I pulled away breaking the kiss and she pouted. I pulled her shirt over her head needing to see more of her. I tossed her shirt on to my bed as my eyes never left the sight of her succulent breasts. She blushed bashfully as I leaned into her placing a kiss over the tops of her breast.

I sucked the flesh into my mouth earning a moan to part her pretty little lips. Moving the bra she wore to the side I pulled her nipple into my mouth. I moaned tasting her sweet skin on my tongue. I made my tongue swirl around her nipple, nipping on it lightly.

"Edward," she smoldered, her fingers digging into my scalp. The feeling of her nails scraping over my scalp caused the best sensation up my spine. I treated her left breast, too, the same treatment I gave the right. Then I kissed up her neck until I captured her mouth again. She began pulling at my belt and I removed her hand.

She broke our kiss and looked up at me with her big brown doe eyes. Her pouty lips and exposed breast.

"Edward, I want you," she breathed trying to undo my pants again. It took everything in me to shake my head _no_.

"Not tonight," I told her. I saw rejection enter hers eyes and I cupped her face between my hands. "I want to, Bella, believe me I want to so bad it hurts. But I want to make you feel special, desired and wanted. I want you to know what you mean to me. Let me show you what you mean to me. Will you allow me to do that, Bella?" I asked her. She nodded her head chewing on her lip again.

Lowering my lips to hers, I kissed her again, slowly this time. I gave every corner of her succulent mouth attention. I encouraged her to walk back until we reached my bed. I lowered her onto the bed, hovering over her body.

I began to unbutton her jeans and I could feel her shiver under me. Gradually, my hand glided into her pants, and then past her underwear. She whimpered when my hand came in contact with her wet flesh. My jaw tightened as I felt how moist and hot she was.

My groin cried out painfully to be inside of her, but we weren't ready for that step yet. When I made love her I wanted her to believe, without a doubt, that I was here to stay. I didn't want her to question who I wanted to be with.

Her hips lifted from the bed, silently begging me for more friction. I lifted my lips from her mouth and looked down into her face as I gave her the friction she needed. Steadily I pushed two fingers inside of her.

"Hmm, more, please," she moaned licking her lips. I curled and bent my fingers inside of her. I brushed the tips of my fingers against the warm flesh of her insides. Listening to her whimper and moan was driving me mad. I pressed my thumb against her hardening clit and she screamed out.

I could feel her walls began to lock around my fingers. I watched her come undone in my hand and my eyes began to tear up with how painful my erection just became. I needed her to come again, only this time I wanted to taste her. I brushed my nose over her neck and jaw, sucking on that spot on her neck.

"I want to taste you, Bella. Can I taste you, mi amor?" I asked nipping at her skin. She whimpered, rocking her hips against my hand still inside of her underwear.

"You don't have to," she said, as if I was doing so out of obligation. This is why I knew she wasn't ready for us to make love yet, she wasn't understanding that I wanted her in every way humanly possible. I wanted her to understand that her happiness gave me happiness, her pain was my pain, and her pleasure gave me pleasure.

"Mi amor, I'm not doing it because I have to. I want to, because I want to experience every inch of you," I informed her. I pressed my thumb against her center loving the way her hips lifted for more.

"Has no one ever worshiped your body, Isabella?" I asked. I loved saying her full name when I had her like this. The goose bumps that appeared on her skin when I did so were enticing. She shook her head unable to form words, as I allowed my fingers to begin to slowly pump inside of her again.

"Then I am more than happy to pay adoration to your body," I replied. I started by kissing over her neck, sucking that skin behind her ear into my mouth. I continued down her body placing kisses over her breast then her stomach. As I kissed lower I began peeling her pants from her body.

I tossed them to the floor, and began sprinkling her thighs with kisses. I could feel her body tense up, so I kissed back up her body until I was at her lips again.

"I'll stop if you want me to."

"No, please keep going," she said looking up at me. I leaned in placing a kiss on her lips, slipping my hand back into her underwear. I wanted her to relax and enjoy this, not to overthink it. I massaged her sex until she was moaning for more. I began kissing down her body again, never removing my hand.

Using my other hand, I peeled her underwear off, and moaned from her aroma filling my nostrils. She smelled delectable and I couldn't wait to see if she tasted just as sweet. I encouraged her to lift her leg allowing me to see all of her.

She began to tense up again so I pressed my thumb into her clit rubbing over it quickly. Her legs relaxed spreading wider for more. I settled myself between her thighs and then quickly switched my thumb for my tongue.

I growled the instance her essence touched my tongue causing my taste buds to explode in satisfaction. Swirling my tongue over her sweet pearl she moaned loudly. Sucking it into my mouth her hips lifted from the bed as if it was on fire. I gripped her waist holding her in place as I licked between her folds.

"Oh God!" she moaned finding my hair and fisting it tightly. I teased her dipping my tongue inside of her over and over again. I sucked her pearl into my mouth again, using my tongue to make tiny, tight circles.

"Oh…I'm going to come," she moaned her legs locking around my head. I didn't mind, I loved being trapped between legs. Only using my tongue I made love to her, devoured her completely and totally. Bella's hips rocked against me as her moans grew louder and louder.

I had no concern about the pain I felt in my pants from how hard my cock had gotten. My only concern was pleasing her, hearing her cum, and tasting her when she did.

I obsessed over every piece of flesh between her thighs. I kissed, licked, and tortured every sensitive nerve of her sex my mouth could reach. Then her back arched from the bed, her nails dug into my hair and I heard her scream out my name in such a way I could have cum my damn self.

Her juices flooded my mouth, her smell wrapping around me like a cloud. I didn't stop though. I wanted her to come again. I wanted to taste her again. So I continued to consume her, and ravish her delicious pretty pussy.

Lapping up every drop that spilled from her body, she cried out my name over and over again. Her legs now locked around my neck. I pushed one of my fingers inside of her as I used my tongue on her clit, massaging it, teasing it repeatedly.

I kept my finger at the same rhythm as my mouth and she soon screamed out again as her body convulsed with such conviction that I was sure she started to cry. Her sweet nectar spilling into my mouth, never had I tasted anything so sweet, so perfect.

I could have lived between her thighs if it was at all possible. I placed kisses over her folds, slowly bringing her down from her release. I kissed up her body until I was face to face with her. Looking down into her eyes I saw that two tears had fallen from them. I wiped them away and she smiled at me.

Her skin was flushed from her release, her chest still rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.

"I've never felt anything like that."

"Expect a lot more of it, because you Ms. Swan just became my favorite delicacy," I told her and she blushed. I wanted to kiss her but wasn't sure how she would react. We sat there looking at each other and her hand reach down touching my engorged cock. I groan in my throat pulling away from her even though all I wanted to do was push into her touch.

"I want to make you feel good, Edward."

"You do, just by being with me right now."

"Edward…" she began pouting her sexy little lip. I ran my thumb over it as I spoke.

"We will get to me once you believe that I am here because I want to be with you, not just physically, Bella, but every way.

"But that has to hurt."

"I'll be fine," I informed her.

"You're lying."

"Maybe, but I don't matter, you do and…"

"…don't ever say that again."

"What?"

"That you don't matter. You matter to me more than you could ever possibly know," she told me. I smiled at her brushing her hair from her forehead.

"Ditto, Ms. Swan and I will spend our time together making sure you know it and believe it," I replied. She cupped my face in her hand.

"Kiss me, please," she spoke softly. I dropped my head to hers, allowing our lips to connect. Her fingers slipped into my hair, massaging my scalp. I moaned from the feeling of her mouth and nails. She kissed me with such hunger I couldn't resist pressing my erection into her side. The little friction was driving me mad because my cock was begging for her touch, her kiss, and be between her warm folds.

"This is the last time you will walk away in pain after giving me pleasure, is that clear, Dr. Cullen?" she asked holding my head against her as she spoke. I went to tell her that I didn't agree when she wrapped her little hand around my cock hindering me speechless.

"Next time, I want to make you explode whether it is in my hand or mouth. I want you, too, and not allowing me to please you is torture," she whispered against my lips.

"Bella, sweetheart…" I said not able to get out much else as she squeezed my cock in her hand. She placed soft kisses on my chin and began pulling at my belt again. I tried stopping her and she groaned.

"Please, Edward. Let me touch you," she whispered still undoing my pants. When her little hand slipped into my pants and wrapped around my cock it took everything in me not to succumb to her touch in that moment.

"You feel so good in my hand. So large, thick and hard," she spoke, still placing kisses on my chin. My eyes shut tight as I surrendered to the feel of her hand around me. She slipped her hand out and I watched her lick her palm. Smiling she placed her hand back in my pants, wrapped her fingers around my cock and began pumping slowly.

"Ah, Bella," I breathed placing my forehead against hers. She pulled my lip into her mouth as her thumb brushed over my tip. My cock leaped in excitement. She spread the cum that had already started to protrude around and pumped a little faster.

"Do you like my hand on you, Edward?"

"Oh baby, I love your hand on me."

"Do you love it as much as I love your fingers in me, or maybe as much as I loved having your mouth devour me," she whispered. I didn't know where this bold Bella came from but fuck if I hadn't just fallen in love with her more.

"Bella, you're going to make me cum, sweetheart."

"That's the point, baby."

"Ah fuck, Bella, I going to cum," I growled. She began pumping faster and before I knew it I was falling over the ledge called ecstasy. I moaned her name as I came apart in her hand. She pulled her hand from my pants and I watched as she licked her fingers.

"Next time, I'll use my mouth," she told me placing a kiss against my lips. I loved Bella for thousands of reasons, she was smart, independent, selfless, fun, loving, understanding, and caring, and the list went on. Now I could also say mi amor was a little hidden sex kitten. ****

* * *

**_And now they've kissed and made up_**

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	13. Love Heals

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_ Love Heals_**

**_Chapter 13_**

My knee wouldn't stop shaking and I had already practically chewed the skin off of my bottom lip. I was nervous; okay, nervous was a bit of an understatement. Our family lawyer and family friend, Jonathan Jenks called me yesterday asking me to meet him today.

I had no idea why he wanted to meet, and I was seriously hoping it wasn't anything horrible regarding me gaining custody of Sophie and Nicky. Angela and Edward wanted to come with me, but I assured the both of them that I would be fine.

I mean... how bad could it be?

"Bella, happy you could make it on such short notice," Jonathan said approaching me. I forced a smile as I looked up at him.

"Of course, you said it was important."

"Yes, come with me into my office," he told me. I stood up and followed him back to his office. I sat down as he rounded his desk to do the same.

"How are Sophie and Nicky?"

"Good, really good," I replied nervously.

"That's always good to hear," he said, pulling out a black leather folder. He went through some papers then looked up at me.

"Since you are doing so great with the kids, the Judge decided to shorten the temporary guardianship and the custody hearing will be moved up to an earlier date," he said. This was great news, I mean amazing news. All of this custody crap with the State could be over sooner than I thought.

I started to get happy but noticed the worried look on Jonathan's face.

"Isn't this good news?"

"Yes, of course, but I want you to be very cautious, Bella. With the Judge moving the date up, it means people will be watching you much more closely than they were before."

"Shit, just what I needed."

"I know things have been hard but you've come a long way."

"Jonathan, I can't lose them."

"You won't. At least I am trying with everything in me to make sure you don't. I never understood why the Judge would even put you through something like this, but whenever I question him about his choice he begins talking about young adults like you needing to be taught a lesson."

"What is he talking about?"

"I don't know, but Bella so far everything is in your favor. I just want you to continue to stay on the right track and everything will work out for the best," he told me. I nodded my head running my fingers through my hair. Then I looked up at Jonathan.

"He doesn't think I'm doing this for the money, does he?" I asked, trying to figure out why the Judge would feel the need to be so hard on me.

"I don't believe so. I explained to him that your parents left all three of you $330,000 a piece and that you placed Sophie and Nicholas' share in trust funds that are not to be touched by them until their twenty-first birthdays. I even explained to him that you were using your share to raise them."

"Then, what is his problem with me?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to test him, Bella."

"Fine, is there anything else?"

"Just that the new custody hearing date is November 15th," he informed me. I nodded my head and tried to shake this unnerving feeling I was having about all of this.

"Emily said you've some additional help now."

"She called you?" I asked him not really surprised. I knew it wasn't natural for social workers to keep the person being _investigated_ attorney informed, but Emily always did.

"Of course, you know she keeps me posted after every visit so that I am well prepared to help you in court."

"I know, and yes, I do have some help. My best friend Angela, she's Mrs. Weber's daughter. She's been a huge help."

"What about the Cullen's?" he asked me. I rolled my eyes not wanting to discuss this with him.

"Yes, they have also been a great help to me."

"Edward, in particular?"

"Jonathan, what are you getting at?" I asked, irritation in my voice. He sat back in his chair with a smile on his face.

"You sound just like your mother when you said that," he teased, and I shook my head with a smile on my face.

"She said that same thing to me, when she was working with me to legally adopt you," he quipped. I smiled again remembering the day my mom and dad told me that she was my new mom. I was so happy and scared. I worried she would leave like Marie did, but she never did, not of her own free will, anyway.

"I'm not getting at anything, Bella. I promise you. Emily just said this guy appeared to care a lot about you and she thinks that could be very good for the case. I just wanted to hear it from you."

"Oh," I said, my mouth making the O shape. "Edward is…he is very important to me-to us. He helps out alot. He even got Nicky comfortable with playing sports. He taught him some breathing exercises then talked to Nicky's soccer coach about how to help him in practices," I said, unable to remove the smile from my face.

"And Sophie adores him, calls him her big brother," I continued with a little laugh, as I thought about the look of surprise on Edward's face the first time she said it.

"That's great, Bella, it sounds like they are starting to break out of their shells," he noted. I could tell he was about to become all therapist on me. I hated when he did this. Little known fact, Jonathan was also a licensed psychologist. He felt it would help with having a family law practice.

After our parents died, the three of us would come to see him. I didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone else so he lent us his ear.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You look happier, Bella, I haven't seen you this happy in a long time," he said. I smiled shaking my head.

"I have a lot more to be happy about."

"That's wonderful. Could I meet him one day?" he asked me. I looked up at him with a warning look. He was one of my father's closest friends, meaning he would probably get all father-like on Edward. I already had to worry about Billy doing this at the birthday party I was throwing for Sophie and Nicky on Saturday.

"I'll be on my best behavior."

"Sure you will; you forget I remember you, dad and Billy cornering my prom date," I said with a laugh. Jonathan laughed sitting back in his chair.

"We only ever wanted the best for you, Bella."

"I know, and I know I don't say it enough but thank you, Jonathan, for all your help in this mess," I told him.

"Of course, Cinderella, you're like a niece to me. I couldn't just do nothing," he said, calling me the old nickname he and Billy gave me. I saw a sad look pass in his eyes and I knew he was probably beating himself up for not speaking up about taking Sophie and Nicky when the court was trying to decide what to do with them.

I didn't blame him, though. There weren't many people in the world that could give up their entire life for someone else's children. In his own way he made up for it. When he found out I wanted to take the kids, he took on the case for free and has been fighting tooth and nail for us ever since.

"It's okay, Jonathan."

"No, it's not. I'm a grown man and I couldn't open my mouth because I couldn't help thinking about the life I would be losing by taking on two young children at my age. But you, Bella, you gave up everything for them without even caring what you were giving up. Your parents would be so proud of you, you have to know that."

"I know," I replied back trying not to cry. He got up from his chair and came over to me. I stood up and we shared a hug. He pulled out of the hug and looked down into my face.

"Now back to this business about meeting this guy that has put a smile back on your face," he said. I laughed looking away from him.

"He'll be at Sophie and Nicky's birthday party on Saturday."

"Good, I'll interrogate him, Charlie Swan style."

"What? No!" I yelled looking up at him now. Jonathan started laughing and I shook my head.

"You can't do that, I really like him and you'll scare him off," I said.

"From what Emily told me, nothing is going to scare him off. Relax, Cinderella, I'll be nice," he told me and I smiled at him.

After I talked with him a little longer I left to go pick Sophie and Nicholas up from school. Today was the last day before summer break as well as their seventh birthday. I was honestly surprised they wanted to go to school, but they said something about their class giving them a birthday party.

I got on the elevator and pressed for the garage. The elevator stopped at the fifth floor and I wish it hadn't. The _she-devil_ also known as Edward's _ex-wife _walked onto the elevator. Over the past week she called and texted Edward's phone so much it was sickening. He never answered or replied. He just saved every text message to use against her in the divorce hearing.

"If it isn't Edward's newest play thing…" she said as the doors closed.

"If it isn't Edward's old rag doll," I snapped back. She gave me a forced smile.

"I just came from seeing my lawyer's associate because apparently Edward has paid more money to have the divorce hearing moved up and to have it here in Seattle instead of New York. I have a feeling you're the reason why," she said. I smiled at that fact. After her little stunt at his clinic, Edward contacted his lawyer and the Judge.

The divorce hearing was moved to this Friday. Was I excited?

Of course, I even drew a little person dancing on my calendar on that date, June 8th.

"He'll come back, he always does."

"Why can't you just admit that you've lost him, and he just doesn't want anything else to do with you?"

"He can divorce me, but you remember this little girl. In the eyes of God, I will always be Edward's wife until death do us part," she said. I noticed she was still wearing her wedding rings. It bothered me but I tried not to let it get to me.

"After the evil things you've done, I think God will give Edward a break," I replied tapping my foot now. The idea of being on the elevator with her was another one of the Universe's horrible jokes on me, it had to be.

"I should just cut your little face up, I bet he wouldn't want you then," she replied in a whisper. I knew she was trying to scare me and I'll admit that statement did make me uncomfortable. But I remembered Alice and Esme telling me that day I ran out of the clinic, that Carmen was more bark than bite.

So I inhaled a deep breath, and turned to her so that she was looking me in the face when I said what I was about to say.

"You can hate me, make all the threats you want, you can even keep telling yourself I'm the reason you lost Edward, when we both know it's because you're a trifling bitch that never deserved him in the first place. But I'm not going away, I'm not backing down, and I won't let you win."

"I always win."

"We'll, then you've met your match, Carmen," I replied just as the elevator doors opened. I turned and walked out of the elevator. Then I stopped and turned to look at her.

"Also, next time before you threaten to cut someone, ask yourself one question. What kind of weapon could the ex-chief of police's daughter have in her purse?" I said, tapping the side of my bag. After both my parents being murdered, my dad's best friend, Billy, took me to get my license to carry. I used my father's old gun and Billy taught me how to shoot it. I never actually carried it on me, I hated the damn thing, but Carmen didn't need to know that.

I just wanted her to understand that she may have only seen me as a child, but I was a woman. A woman willing to fight for the man she loved.

Even if he didn't know I loved him yet.

I walked to my car and I swear she didn't walk off of that elevator until I was in the car and the engine was started. I smiled at her and waved, as I pulled out. I hated the traffic as I drove to the kids' school. As I sat at a red light, my phone started to ring and I saw it was Edward. I reached for my Bluetooth ear piece and placed it my ear.

"Hey, Dr. Hot Pants, you have a break or something?" I asked with a smile.

"I can't believe Lauren has you calling me that, too."

"Yeah, but unlike her, I know just how hot those pants really are; well what's under the pants, anyway," I joked and he laughed.

"Well, since you are joking, that answers the question I called to ask you?"

"What question is that?"

"Carmen texted me that she saw you," he said, and I could hear the stress in his voice. I wished that I was near him to scratch his scalp and relax him.

"Relax, Edward, I saw her and I'm fine."

"Bella…" he said in a warning tone. I forgot whenever I said I was _fine_ he thought I was lying.

"I'm great, Edward, really. Jonathan told me that the custody hearing has been moved to November because the Judge is impressed with how well I've done with the kids and thinks we can end this whole temporary guardianship before next year," I told him, the joy in me shooting through the roof. I was worried about what Jonathan said, but I was also excited about the chance of it being over in November.

"That's great news, baby! I'm so happy for you!" he said, with almost as much excitement as me. My smile spread hearing him call me baby. I loved when he did that.

"Goodness, just the idea this can be put behind me soon is just amazing," I said as I turned the corner.

"I'm so happy for you, Bella. You know I will help with whatever any of you need."

"I know, Jonathan seems to think you are good for our case."

"Oh, so is that the only reason you have me around?" he joked. I laughed, deciding to play along.

"That and your fingers and mouth…"

"Bad girl, Ms. Swan, I have a patient in ten minutes," he whispered into the phone. I laughed as I continued to drive.

"Sorry."

"You will be. Are we still taking Sophie and Nicky to the bowling alley tonight?"

"If they want to go after seeing their rooms, I can't wait to see mine. Will you tell me what color my furniture is?" I asked wishing he could see my pout through the phone.

"No."

"The color of the walls?"

"No, and stop pouting you know what your mouth does to me," he replied. I laughed again, amazed at how well he seemed to know me.

"Fine, you big meanie."

"Big meanie, really Bella?"

"Yes, that's what you're being."

"So what do you call your little tease last night?" he asked. I laughed again, much louder this time. Last night, we all stayed at Edward's place since Alice had some last minute things to do to our rooms. So once the kids were asleep, I attempted to seduce Edward. I say attempted because he was serious about us not having sex until all his ties to Carmen were cut.

He was also still serious about me not being able to give him pleasure with my mouth. He said he wanted to make love to me before I did that.

I know it makes no sense.

So when he tried to still touch me, like he did whenever we were alone, I denied him. Believe me, I didn't want to, but if he could deny me from pleasing him, I could deny him from pleasing me.

"A fair trade," I answered with a smirk on my face.

"Sure, whatever you say, Kitty," he said. After the night at his house he started calling me his sex kitten or just kitty, depending on our surroundings.

"Is Jasper and Alice going bowling with us tonight?"

"Yeah, what about Ang and Lauren?"

"Yup, Lauren is bringing her new boy toy Paul," I said laughing at something Lauren told me about him.

"I hope she doesn't call me Dr. Hot Pants in front of him; I don't know too many men okay with their woman calling another man hot pants," Edward said. I giggled into the phone just as I turned up the block to the kids' school.

"You wouldn't want me calling another man, hot pants?"

"Are you saying you're my woman, mi amor?" he asked. I loved when he called me that most of all. My love, he called me. I didn't speak Spanish but I knew what mi amor meant.

"You know that I am, unless you've changed your mind."

"Never."

"Then yes, I'm your woman. Now back to my question. You wouldn't want me calling another man, hot pants?"

"Would you want me calling another woman, baby, kitty or _mi amor_?" he asked back. Just the thought of him calling anyone either of those names made me want to rip her eyes out. The worst part, the person didn't even exist, it was just my imagination.

"If you ever did that, I would bring harm to your manhood, Dr. Cullen," I warned him. He laughed into the phone.

"I could never call another woman, baby, and you are my own personal kitty, I wouldn't share that with another living soul. As for _mi amor_, well baby, you are the only woman I have ever called that name and it will remain that way."

"There you go making my head spin again," I replied and he laughed. I loved hearing him laugh. I pulled up outside of the school and parked my car.

"I just got to Sophie and Nicky's school, so I have to go," I said not wanting to hang up with him, but knew Sophie and Nicky would want my undivided attention when they came out here.

"Okay, my patient is here anyway. I'll be at the house the moment I finish up here."

"Okay," I said pouting. God, I was really moments away from telling him to hang up first because I couldn't do it.

"Baby, you have to hang up for the call to end," Edward said with a laugh.

"You didn't hang up either," I replied.

"Okay, same time."

"Count of three," I told him. "…one, two, three…" we said together but I didn't hang up.

"You didn't hang up, Kitty."

"Neither did you," I pointed out and he laughed again. I heard a door and I assumed it was his office door.

"Okay, really, baby I have to go. I'll see you in an hour."

"Okay," I said and then he hung up. The school bell rang and I climbed out of my car. I walked over to the school yard and waited for Sophie and Nicky. As I stood there in the yard, I noticed a woman who looked familiar staring back at me. I couldn't remember from where I knew her.

The kids started to come out of the building and I started looking for Sophie and Nicky. I spotted them both running out holding what looked to be gift bags and balloons. Their teacher followed them out carrying the tray on which I brought their cake this morning.

"Ella! Look what I got!" Sophie yelled trying to show me something in her bag. Nicholas was talking a mile a minute about some toy one of his classmates gave him. I swear I didn't remember kids being this generous when I was little.

"Bella, I just have to tell you again that Sophia and Nicholas were a delight to have in class. You're doing an amazing job with them," their teacher Mrs. Hummel said, as she handed me the tray.

"Thank you," I replied smiling. Sophie and Nicky told her goodbye and then we walked back to the car. They both climbed in telling me about their day and arguing over whose turn it was to talk.

"Ella, do we get to see our rooms today?" Sophie asked, which had somehow turned into the daily routine now. Thankfully, I could tell her yes today.

"Yup, Alice is going to reveal them to us today."

"Do you think Alice will be with her fiancé?" Nicky asked, saying fiancé as if it was a curse word. I tried not to laugh. He really had a crush on her, he was so cute.

"Probably, Nicky."

"Oh," he said sadly. Sophie started to tease him but I put an end to it quickly before it got out of hand. When we stopped at a light, I texted Alice and told her that she should give Nicky a kiss on his cheek.

**_Of course, he's my back up plan after he turns 18 in case Jazz doesn't work out ~Ali_**

She texted back and I laughed. As I drove I looked into the rearview mirror at the two of them.

"So, are you two all birthday'd out already, or do you want to do some bowling later?" I asked them. Both of their faces lit up with excitement.

"We want to go bowling!" they shouted.

"Then bowling it is," I told them.

"Ella?" Sophie called to me. I looked at her in the rearview mirror and saw a nervous look on her face.

"What's up, Soph?"

"Are you and Edward…are you boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked me. Well, leave it to my sister to ask the serious questions. I wasn't really surprised by the question, just surprised at how long it took her to ask me.

"Yeah, I guess we are. How does that make the two of you feel?" I asked still driving. I started chewing on my lip nervous about their answer. I knew that they liked Edward, but children's opinions always changed about someone especially when it was something like this.

"I like Edward, he's funny."

"Yeah, and he's really good at soccer," Nicholas answered. He started soccer practice last Saturday and so far Edward went with him whenever he had a practice.

"So, the both of you are okay with him being my boyfriend?"

"Yup!" they both replied. I smiled as I continue driving to our house. The minute I pull into the driveway I see Alice talking to someone in our doorway. I parked and the kids jumped out running to her.

"Happy birthday twin pops!" she said making them laugh.

"Are you still working on the rooms? I thought you were finished," I said, getting out of the car.

"Just had some last minute touch-ups to your room," she replied as I walked over to her. Nicky and Sophie started jumping up and down asking if they could see their rooms now.

"Okay, but who gets to go first?" Alice asked.

"Me!" they both shouted. Then they turned to each other and began placing _rock, paper, scissors_ like they always did when trying to decide which of them got to do something first. Sophie won with paper over Nicky's rock and he was not happy about it.

The four of us head upstairs to finally have the revealing of their bedrooms. We stood outside of Sophie's room, which was my old room first.

"Are you ready, Sophie?" Alice asked with a smile on her face.

"YES!" Sophie shouted. Alice opened the door and Sophie screamed, jumping up and down again. She ran into the room and dove onto the bed first. She hugged the little teddy bear that was on the bed to her chest. Then she jumped up and began looking at everything. It was the funniest thing in the world watching her run around the room.

It looked nothing like my room anymore. I mean it was a different room entirely. The color theme was white and gold. The curtains were ceiling to floor, and there was even a little vanity for Sophie to sit at. Alice had even added a little chandelier. There was a dresser with built-in shelves and a little tea table for tea parties. Alice even remembered me telling her how much Sophie loved stuffed animals and filled the room with them. I had to admit, I knew what the furniture looked like but Alice had done an amazing job with the room. It wasn't so much a little girl's room, but a young girl's room.

"Alice, I love it! Thank You, Thank You, Thank you!" Sophie shouted over and over again. Alice and I started laughing and I saw the annoyed and impatient look on Nicholas' face.

"Okay, Nicky, your turn," I said and he smiled. Sophie continued looking around in her room while, Alice and I walked Nicky to his room.

"Open the door, Nicky," I said. He grinned and looked up at me, and then opened the door.

"WOW!" he yelled while walking inside. His bed was a loft style with the mattress at the bottom. There was a little basketball court in the middle of the floor with the basket attached to the side of the bed.

"I can play basketball in here?" he asked. I pointed out only with the little basketball that was in the corner. He then walked over and hit the little punching bag.

"It's just like the one dad had in the garage," he said. Sometimes it surprised me how great their memory was. Next, he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling shelves that were filled with almost every type of action figure you could possibly think of.

"Edward gave you all his old action figures from our parents' house," Alice said, as we watched Nicholas go over to the shelf. We left him to his room and Sophie was still in hers completely ignoring us.

"Alice, you did really awesome with their rooms, thank you," I said with a smile. There was no way I could have done any of it alone.

"Of course, Bella, are you ready to see your room?" she asked. I started chewing on my lip. I was nervous.

_My room_

In so many ways I still saw it as my parents' room. Alice took my hand into hers and I looked over at her.

"It looks nothing like before. I had it completely redone, even the bathroom," she told me. I nodded my head. That much I knew; my room was completely reconstructed.

"I want to wait until Edward gets here."

"Okay, no problem. I sort of had a feeling you would say that," she replied with a smile. I laughed shaking my head.

"Sophie! Nicky! Come look at your bathroom!" Alice yelled, pulling me with her. Since I would now be using my parents' bedroom, Alice had also refurbished the second floor bathroom. Sophie and Nicky ran out of their rooms.

Alice opened the door and it was a Mickey and Minnie explosion in the bathroom. I was actually happy I would not be forced to use it. Thankfully, they loved it though, and were even happy that all my _girly stuff,_ as Nicky said, wouldn't be in the way.

"Alice, why don't you do this for a living?" I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"It's fun, I feel like if I make it work, I won't enjoy it anymore," she answered. I guess I could understand that; work was never really much fun. There was a knock downstairs and I went to answer hoping it was Edward.

I wasn't disappointed.

"Did you break the speed limit getting here?" I teased, giving him a hug. He laughed, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

"I may have, but don't tell anyone," he replied. "Have you seen your room yet?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. I was waiting for you."

"Really? I would have thought you would have knocked that door down by now."

"Nope, I wanted to share seeing it for the first time with you," I told him. He grinned down at me then placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"Edward, come look at my new room!" Sophie yelled from the top of the steps. Together we walked upstairs and Edward checked out Sophie's and Nicholas' rooms even though he already knew what both of them looked like.

I laughed when he challenged Nicky to a basketball match. Watching a 6 foot 2 inch man play on a basketball court hardly half his size, was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen in my life.

After he let Nicky win, he turned to me asking if I was ready to see my room. I nodded my head and Alice started jumping up and down like a little pixie. It was a little terrifying. We walked up to the door and it was then I noticed she even had the door painted. I turned to her and she smiled.

"That was the last little touch up I had done," she told me. I laughed and inhaled a deep breath. I opened the door and was completely and utterly shocked by what I saw. The walls were all painted a dark mint green color.

"Edward said your favorite color is green," Alice squealed. I smiled taking in all of the white furniture and the canopy bed. Everything was so different, even the windows that sat behind the little living area.

"When did you do that?" I asked pointing to the windows.

"That is why you were not allowed home yesterday, I didn't want you to know we took out the old windows. Do you like it?" she asked. I could tell she was nervous about my reply. I looked around the room some more taking in the long white curtains.

It was elegant, and perfect.

"I love it, Alice."

"Yay!" she shouted.

"I was hoping you would. Angela put all your clothes away in your closets and the dressers," she told me. I walked over and slid the closet door open and sure enough it was filled with all of my clothes, shoes, bags and a few new things.

I turned and looked at Alice who tried wearing an innocent face. Edward laughed as he walked over to me.

"Don't be mad at her. Angela told us that you haven't renewed your wardrobe and Alice couldn't resist," he told me placing his hand on the small of my back.

"Bella, it's all stuff from my closet, so consider it like hand-me-downs."

"Alice, this stuff still has tags," I said looking at the clothes.

"I never wore them; please take them. I've always wanted a sister to share my clothes with, and now I have one," Alice said and she actually pouted. I rolled my eyes making Edward laugh and Alice squeal.

I used to wonder what it would be like to have an older sister. I suddenly felt the need to apologize to Sophie and Nicky.

"I'll take it only if we consider it my birthday present," I replied and she pouted again.

"But I have something so amazing planned for your birthday."

"Alice, you've done all this without letting me pay you a dime, now the clothes, I just…"

"Would you charge Sophie and Nicky?"

"Well no, but…"

"Bella, I did this because I love you guys. You're my family and I don't charge my family. Ask Edward, I wouldn't let him pay me either," she told me. I looked at Edward and he nodded his head. Then he whispered in my ear that he paid her back in his own way.

"You win, for now."

"Yay!" she shouted, then took my hand guiding me to the bathroom. She opened the door. The walls were pretty much the same green as the bedroom walls just slightly darker. The cabinets were dark wood and the counter around the sink marble. The tub was against the windows, looking out over the house and the shower was built into the wall.

"Alice, this is amazing!"

"I knew you would love it! Oh, and the tub has Jacuzzi jets," she said, clapping her hands. It was amazing how much she was enjoying this. Then it occurred to me that this had to have cost thousands of dollars.

"Alice, how much did you pay to have all of this done?"

"Don't worry about it. It hardly put a dent in my checkbook."

"What do you mean it didn't put a dent in your checkbook? Alice, this had to have cost you thousands of dollars."

"Bella, I have more than enough money. Our grandparents left us all hefty trust funds. When Apple first started, my grandfather was one of those few who invested. Edward didn't tell you?" Alice inquired. I turned and looked at Edward. I knew he had money, I mean why else would Carmen be trying to bleed him dry? But I had no idea that it could be this much that he could just blow thousands of dollars on redecorating a house like Alice had done.

"Why didn't you tell me you were one of those rich trust fund babies?"

"Didn't see a reason to tell you, it wasn't like it would have made you like me more. You probably would have just tried using it as another excuse not to give us a chance," he replied, and I laughed because he was right

We walked out of the bathroom and back into my bedroom. I sat down on the bed and actually moaned at how soft it felt.

"I don't know how to repay you, Alice."

"Don't worry, I know how you can but I won't bring it up now," she replied with a huge smile. I looked at her with a brow raised and Edward just told me not to ask. He sat down next to me while Alice started explaining all the clothes she had put in my closet.

I was only half listening to her as I thought about how weird it would all be sleeping in here tonight. It no longer looked like my parents' room, it didn't even feel like my parents' room, but I knew I couldn't sleep alone in here.

Not tonight.

"Edward, will you sleep in here with me tonight?" I asked before I even thought about it. Edward had spent the night with me every night for at least a week and I was sure he was sick of me by now.

"I thought I already was," he replied and I smiled at him.

"Ella, are we…WOW! Your room is beautiful!" I heard Sophie say as she walked into my room. I turned around growing nervous because Sophie and Nicky's last time inside this room was that night.

"You like it?"

"Yeah, especially the curtains on your bed…" she said waving the curtains around.

"Bella, are we still going bowling?" Nicholas asked coming into the room. He stopped and looked around and I watched his face. He looked around the entire room, and then smiled.

"Alice, how did you know green was Bella's favorite color?"

"Edward told me."

"Cool, it looks much better than her old room," he said making all of us laugh. We all got up and left for the bowling alley. Little did Sophie and Nicky know Edward picked up their birthday cake for us to sing happy birthday to them while we were there.

Angela, Lauren and Lauren's new boy toy joined us. When we sang happy birthday to them, Sophie stood up on the seats. I swear Edward almost freaked out thinking she was going to fall. Alice placed a kiss on Nicky's cheek and he turned beet red.

The night was absolutely perfect and if it was at all possible I think I fell more in love with Edward as he helped Sophie and Nicky bowl.

"Have you told him yet?" Angela asked sitting down next to me.

"Told him what?"

"That you love him, duh?" Lauren said sitting down on the other side of me. I shook my head trying to figure out why in the hell I invited the two of them.

"No, I haven't told him and Lauren, how do you know…I love him?" I asked whispering the last part.

"The entire world can see it, you've been looking at him like a lovesick puppy for the past hour," she said picking up her drink from our table.

"I have not!" I yelled causing Edward to look back at us. I shook my head at him and he turned back around focusing on Sophie and Nicky again.

"Seriously, Bella, what are you waiting for?" Angela asked.

"Can the two of you please just shut it," I said making them both laugh.

"Don't get mad at us because you're too chicken. I'll do it for you…Edward! Bella said she…." I slapped my hand over Lauren's damn mouth so fast everyone in that bowling alley was looking at us while Angela laughed her little ass off.

"I hate you both," I told them not that it had any effect other than more laughing.

"Fine, we won't say another word about it," Angela said. I looked between the two of them and they both zipped their damn traps.

"But, if it's because you think he doesn't love you back, you're an idiot…now I'm done," Angela said. I rolled my eyes and chewing on my lip I watched him play with Sophie and Nicky.

"If you keep looking at him like that, the entire bowling alley will know you're in love with him before he knows," Alice said walking over to the table.

"Told you!" Lauren yelled while Angela started laughing again. I really didn't like any of them at that moment. I got up from my seat and went over to play with Edward and the kids.

By the time we made it home Sophie and Nicky were asleep. I talked Edward out of trying to carry them both into the house. They were angry I woke them, but they were entirely too big to be carried like babies. I let them change into their pajamas and jump right into the bed.

"Think they had fun today, they tired me out at that bowling alley?" Edward asked as I closed their bedroom doors.

"Oh yeah, just wait until Saturday."

"Hmm, damn it. I forgot about that. I'll need lots of coffee that day," he said making me laugh. We entered my room and I stood there just looking around.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just so weird how it doesn't really feel like their room anymore."

"How do you feel about that?" he asked taking my hand into his.

"I don't know, happy, sad, healing I guess."

"That's good to hear, that you feel like you're healing."

"The past few months I've felt closer to them, as if they were here again. I don't know, I sound crazy," I said shaking my head.

"You don't sound crazy. You sound like someone who has been mourning their parents," he told me. I smiled up at him and then we started getting ready for bed. I took a shower in my new bathroom and I was like seriously in love with the shower head.

Edward turned down the option of us preserving water and showering together. He said I was too tempting. By the time I walked back into my bedroom he was already laying in my bed with his sleep pants on.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your pajamas, Bella," he said, and I looked down at what I was wearing. It was a pair of boy shorts and a camisole.

"Edward, you've seen me in this before."

"Yes, and do you remember what I did?" he asked. I felt my cheeks flush from my blush as the memory crossed my mine. Last time I wore something like this, I got to experience his mouth on me again.

"Tonight, it's not one of those nights because you need me to hold you and to just be here for you," he said and I understood him clearly now.

Of course we wouldn't do anything tonight. Even though it may not have been my parents' room anymore, tonight just wouldn't have been the night for any of that. This was my first night sleeping in here and he knew that would be hard on me, and he was here to take care of me.

I loved him even more for it.

"I'll put on a pair of pants."

"Don't bother, the image of you like this is already burned into my head, Kitty. Just come to bed so I can hold you," he replied making me smile. I walked to the bed and he pulled the covers back for me. I climbed in and he pulled me to him instantly.

"You smell good," I said leaning into his chest and taking in his scent. He always smelled so masculine and so Edward. It was mind blowing.

"So, do you," he whispered back with his nose in my hair. We sat that way for a little while, neither of us saying anything as his fingers made little patterns on my arm.

"I ever tell you how my parents met?" I asked him.

"No, how did they meet?"

"First, for the story to make sense, I have to tell you that my mom was obsessed with Swans. We never got why but she was. Her signature, _The Swan_ she had way before she met my father."

"Really, I thought she picked it because of her last name."

"Most people thought so too, since she didn't really start becoming famous until after they were married. She didn't start really using the name until then."

"So how did they meet, for you to have to tell me that story first?" he asked, and I knew he was smirking. He always teased me about having to tell three stories just to tell one.

"Mom was driving like a bat out of hell, much like you," I said looking up at him and he laughed. I smiled and looked back at my hands that were resting on his chest.

"Dad was on patrol and spotted her. Pulled her right over, she was pissed, at least that's what she always used to say. So when Dad walked up to the car and she rolled down her window she said she was about to give him a hell of a tongue lashing and then saw that his last name was Swan. She was always for signs, the universe speaking to her. So she took that as the sign that she was supposed to be with my father. So instead of giving him a tongue lashing she asked him out."

"Seriously?"

"Yup, Dad was so surprised he agreed before he even knew what he was agreeing to. He claimed he knew what he was doing, said he was just playing it cool," I continued with a laugh, thinking about all the times they used to tell me this story.

"So they went out?"

"No, mom stood him up. Dad was hurt, and wouldn't you know the following month he pulled her over again for speeding," I said laughing and Edward joining me.

"When he asked her why she didn't show up, she said the universe said it wasn't time yet, but she knew he was the one. Freaked my old man out, because that first month they met he was in the middle of cutting all ties from Marie," I said. Edward pulled me tighter against him at the mention of her name.

"I guess you can say the rest is history. From then on dad was putty in her hands; he would do anything for her, be anything for her."

"I know the feeling," Edward replied. I looked up into his face and saw that serious look in his eyes.

"It was weird at first, because my father and Marie were never really affectionate to each other. With my mom though, it was infectious, even as a child I knew it was love. _Real love_. I used to think they were the luckiest people in the world to have found each other after what they've been through. I wanted to believe in my mom's universe, but I never thought I would be that lucky…" I continued, never taking my eyes away from his.

"Bella, sweetheart, I lo…"

"I love you, Edward," I said unable to hold it in anymore. I couldn't, I didn't want to. He looked at me for what felt like a century, and then one of his gorgeous smiles spread across his face.

"I love you too, Bella, so much baby I think I might explode one day," he told me. A huge smile formed on my face involuntarily. There was no stopping the joy that filled me hearing him tell me that.

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"Again."

"I love you," he said his face coming closer to mine until we shared a kiss. That night he held me in his arms and I allowed myself to let his love heal the broken pieces of my life.

* * *

**_Sorry for the duplicate! FFN replaced a chapter in the middle of me posting_**

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	14. Endings are the start of something beaut

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Endings are the start of something beautiful_**

**_Chapter 14_**

_12:32 pm_

Was it possible for time to move at a snail's pace? I kept watching the clock, but honestly I couldn't help it. Today was the big day, the day for which the little stick person on my calendar was waiting.

Today, Edward's divorce would be finalized. I was so excited you would have thought it was my birthday.

"Just because you keep watching the clock doesn't mean time will move any faster," Lauren said coming behind the counter.

"Oh, shut up," I told her as I started on another pot of coffee.

"Are you going with him?" she asked me. I started chewing on my lip; it was a really bad habit when I was nervous.

"Do you think I shouldn't?"

"I think you should go and make out with him right in front her, at least that's what I would do," Lauren said. I laughed having no idea why I asked her anything.

"He wants me to go, and I told him that I would."

"Are you going to be in the room, or the waiting area?"

"I don't know," I said, realizing I hadn't even given that any thought.

"Don't matter, he loves you and is divorcing the skank. After today you two can finally get to the nasty, and then your sexy ass really will be glowing then," Lauren said, swinging her hand towel at me. I laughed dodging it.

"Why do I tell you anything?"

"Because you love me and you know if you don't Angela will," she replied. I rolled my eyes and turned around just as Kate walked up to the counter. I hadn't even heard the door open.

"I heard you were working here and I just didn't believe it," Kate said with a little smile on her face.

"What's hard to believe?" Lauren asked with attitude in her voice. Kate looked over at her then back at me.

"I tried calling you to have lunch but you didn't return my call," she said as if I didn't already know. I took Alice and Angela's advice and never went out with Kate. I found it really amazing that after seeing her, Carmen showed up in Seattle.

"I've been busy," I replied, not giving her more of an explanation than that.

"Busy? I heard about that," she replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're screwing Edward, right? I never took you for a home wrecker, Bella."

"Bitch, who the hell do you think you are?" Lauren snapped already pulling to remove her apron.

"I can handle this, Lauren."

"You sure, I'm not afraid of getting locked up for you, Bella," Lauren said glaring at Kate.

"Yes, I'm sure. Look, that customer is asking for another cup," I told her. Lauren nodded her head and made another cup of coffee. I laughed when she jumped at Kate making her flinch.

"Kate, you have no idea what you are talking about."

"I know my cousin said she and Edward were working on their marriage until you came along," she replied. I didn't want to stand here and have this conversation with her. I didn't have to.

"Their marriage was over way before I came along, and you know it."

"All I know is that you took my cousin's husband; she's been devastated without him. I told her I would come and talk to you. You used to be a reasonable person, why can't you let them just work on their marriage and back off."

"Kate, you don't know a damn thing about me and as for your cousin, Carmen, she is a lying piece of shit. Why don't you ask her about the baby she was supposedly carrying, or did you know she was faking too?" I asked whispering that last part. She didn't say anything and that answered my question. "Now I don't give a damn what you think about me and you can believe whatever you want to believe, but do it out of this building and out of my life. Now leave," I continued pointing towards the exit.

"I told everyone how you turned into a little whore since your parents died. Want to know what Tyler said?"

"No, I don't care about any of you. Now get out."

"He said Edward must have paid good money to get you to un-pry those legs of yours," she answered anyway. I wanted to break her nose on this counter. It seemed everyone wanted to test me, to try and push me to commit assault. But I didn't have to; Lauren took the job of my bodyguard. What I couldn't do she wasn't afraid to do for me.

"If you say one more thing to her, I am going to use your face to wipe my ass," Lauren whispered in Kate's ear as she gripped Kate's hair in her hand.

"Let me go."

"After you apologize to Bella," Lauren told her. I tried not to laugh but it was sort of funny to watch.

"I am pressing charges, let me go."

"Nope, see the manager here asked you to leave because you were causing a disturbance. Everyone in here heard her tell you to go, but you didn't leave. So that means that I have the right to toss you out of this mother fucker or call the police. Now apologize," Lauren replied.

"I'm sorry."

"That didn't sound like you meant it, try again."

"I'm sorry, Bella."

"That's better, now if I find out you came near her again, I will find you and I will deal with you personally. Tell your cousin the next time she wants to send one of her little minions, to remember Bella has people not afraid to put their foot in her ass, got it? Now get out." Lauren said releasing her. Then she pushed her towards the door. Kate started walking out then she looked back at me.

"Don't you even think about it, unless you want me to rearrange your face so you can see a plastic surgeon tomorrow," Lauren told her and even a few of the customers laughed. How Lauren got the customers to love her even in her bluntness I'll never know. Kate left the coffee house and the few customers that were in the coffee shop started clapping. Lauren took a bow making me laugh.

"You all right?" she asked coming behind the counter.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I shouldn't really be surprised Carmen tried to intimidate me again. Kate knew a different Bella in college and she obviously thought she would be able to get me to back off," I said cleaning up the counter.

"This bitch Carmen is persistent," Lauren said. I nodded my head.

"Wouldn't you be if you were losing Edward?"

"Maybe, but she has to learn how to take a hint. He doesn't want her anymore, he wants you."

"I think that's what is so difficult for her to grasp, I'm just this young…"

"…if you are getting ready to degrade yourself in any way I am going to stop you right now. You are awesome and she knows that. She knows that she could never be half the woman you are and she isn't even woman enough to admit that. Instead she wants to lie to herself and anyone who will listen," Lauren told me. I smiled at her. I still found it amazing how our relationship seemed to change. The moment we became closer, her work ethic improved substantially.

Lauren was strong willed, and didn't take shit from anyone. The moment she felt I was the same, she showed me respect and had become one of my dearest friends. I was happy I had her as a friend. If it was one thing I was starting to really notice, it was that you did not want Lauren Mallory as your enemy.

"You know if someone would have told me five months ago that I would have considered you one of my best friends, I would have cut off their tongue for lying," I told her and she laughed.

"I have a hard shell on the outside. Once you get past that, you see I'm all soft and gooey on the inside. But, if you tell anyone what I said, I will cut off your bangs," she replied making me laugh out loud.

Bree came in at one; she was going to finish up the day with Lauren so that I could go. I explained to her everything that had to be done, and Lauren promised to get the money to the bank today after the shop closed.

"Bree, you remember you're opening tomorrow right?"

"Yup, Mrs. Newton is coming in because the both of you are taking off, right?"

"Yeah, I have to help Bella with the twins' birthday party," Lauren said cleaning the counter.

"Oh, Bella I didn't know you had kids," Bree said. Lauren and I looked at each other because I really hated trying to explain that necessarily Sophie and Nicky weren't my children. But thinking about it all, they were and I would do anything for them.

"Yeah, a boy and a girl. They turned seven on Wednesday," I answered. Lauren smiled causing me to do the same.

"Wow, how old are you?"

"Doesn't matter, she's taking care of two kids and she's awesome at it. Can you go serve that customer over there," Lauren said, quickly dismissing Bree.

"I didn't mean to…"

"…it's okay, Bree. Lauren is just very protective of me and my situation," I told her. She nodded her head and walked over to serve the customer. I looked at Lauren and she shrugged her shoulders.

"What? I didn't like what she was getting at," she replied. I laughed just as I watched Edward walk into the coffee shop. I smiled at the way he strolled in here. It was neither surprising nor unusual that he got the attention of every woman in the coffee shop when he walked in.

But even from the first day he stepped foot in here all those months ago, I was the only woman he saw in return.

"Hey, baby, you ready to go?" he asked, leaning over the counter to place a kiss on my lips. I quickly leaned over to meet his kiss.

"Yes, I'm ready, let me just go grab my bag and sweater from the back," I told him. I headed toward the back office and grabbed my things and left a note for Mrs. Newton.

When I walked back to the front, Lauren and Edward were having a conversation about the birthday party tomorrow.

"I'm ready," I said getting his attention. He smiled at me and we both said goodbye to Lauren as we left.

The drive was silent at first. I wasn't really sure what to say to him. When we stopped at a light, he reached over and took my hand into his.

"You all right?"

"Nervous, I guess."

"Don't be, it will all be over and then we will be finished with her."

"I wish it was that easy," I retorted. He squeezed my hand in his.

"It will be, you'll see," he replied.

"Kate came into the shop today," I told him looking out of the window.

"Kate, Carmen's cousin Kate?" he asked.

"Yup, the one and the same."

"What did she want?"

"To tell me to back off and let you and your wife work on your marriage; she called me a home wrecker too," I said looking at Edward now. We stopped at a red light and he looked over at me.

"You're not."

"I know that, but it won't stop people from thinking just that," I said beginning to chew on my lip again as I looked down into my lap. Edward lifted my face to his, pulling my lip from between my teeth.

"I don't care what anyone else thinks. I love you, Bella, that's not going to change or stop just because some folks might think we did something wrong. I want to be with you and I'm going to be with you," he said and a smile formed on my face from his words. For the past two days I've listened to him tell me he loved me and it still made me breathless.

A car honked in the distance and Edward yelled at them to go around. He pulled my face to his and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips. I would never get used to hearing him tell me that. With those three words, he reminded me that I had nothing to worry about because _he loved me_.

"I love you too," I replied pushing my fingers into his hair. I felt his breath release as a soft moan left his lips. I loved his reaction when I placed my fingers into his hair. When we pulled apart he was smiling at me.

He turned back in his seat and we continued driving to the courthouse. When we arrived I had somehow become even more nervous. I shouldn't have been here. Who was I to be here?

We walked inside and Edward told me they were meeting with the Judge in a conference room near the Judge's chambers. He also said if it wasn't for Jasper calling in favors he wouldn't be able to have the divorce hearing today.

I listened to him talk and explain that the last time they met with the Judge, he gave his opinion of what he felt should happen, and that they were both given a written portion to sign; only Carmen still refused to sign. I inhaled a deep breath just as Edward took my hand into his.

"Thank you for being here today," he said. Looking up at him I remembered why I was here. I was here for him, no other reason mattered. He said he needed me here, and that was enough for me.

"Of course," I replied back with a smile on my face. He lowered his head to mine placing a kiss on my lips.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I heard her little venomous voice say from behind me. Edward grumbled against my lips as he slowly pulled away. We both turned to see Carmen standing there, with whom I knew as Kate's mother and a man I speculated was Carmen's attorney.

"Why is she here?" Carmen asked pointing in my direction.

"Because I want her to be here," Edward replied pulling me against his side. I was starting to feel uncomfortable again.

"Edward, the Judge is about ready," I heard Jasper say. I didn't find out until recently that Jasper was Edward's attorney. I found it amazing that with Alice knowing that and what Carmen had done to Edward, she never told Jasper about it.

"Good. Did you speak with him about Bella sitting in?"

"Yeah, he's cool with it as long as she just observes," he said. I nodded my head so that they knew I understood.

"He's allowing…_her_ to sit in? This entire world has gone to shit," Carmen snapped.

"Carmen, keep it down," Kate's mother whispered to her.

"Why should I? My husband's mistress is allowed to sit in on the worst day of my life," Carmen continued. She was really enjoying digging the knife in my gut by calling Edward her husband.

"She's not my mistress, Carmen. The only person unfaithful in our marriage was you," Edward snapped holding my hand in his.

"Not your mistress? I just watched you kiss her!"

"Carmen, keep it down," the guy standing next to her warned.

"Shut up, James. Are we all just going to stand here and act like he's not blatantly disrespecting me by having _her _here?" Carmen asked. I inhaled a deep breath restraining myself from lashing out at her.

"Can the two of you not do this here, right now?" Jasper asked getting everyone's attention. Carmen rolled her eyes.

"I wonder how the Judge will feel about your affair, Edward."

"It's not an affair, Carmen, the two of you have been legally separated for months," James reminded her and that actually made me smile.

"The Judge is ready everyone, shall we go?" Jasper asked. We all followed Jasper to the conference room and I sat down next to Edward with Jasper on his right so that he was closer to the Judge.

Carmen, Kate's mother and James, Carmen's attorney, sat across from us. I didn't like the way Kate's mother was looking at me. I couldn't even understand why she was here to begin with. I tried keeping my eyes on the table or looking at Edward to keep from saying something to her.

"Edward, this is your last chance to change your mind and call all of this off," I heard Carmen say to him. I glanced up at her and saw her smirking my way.

"Not a chance in hell, Carmen. This marriage is ending today," he replied. She rolled her eyes and leaned over whispering something to her attorney.

The room was silent for the most part, other than the whispers between Jasper and Edward, and Carmen and James. When the Judge came in we all stood up and he quickly told us to be seated.

"We are here to finalize the divorce between the Petitioner, Edward Cullen and the Respondent, Carmen Cullen, is this correct?" the Judge asked. I flinched at hearing her referred to as Carmen Cullen. It made me sick.

"Yes, your honor," Jasper answered.

"Have the two of you come to an agreement?" he asked, looking between Edward and Carmen. They began talking about what they had come to agreement with and Edward explaining that he had already signed the Divorce Decree.

"Mrs. Cullen, why haven't you signed it?" the Judge asked, again my stomach turned hearing her being referred to this way.

"Before he sent paperwork for me to receive alimony, now that is not even mentioned in this Decree," Carmen explained. Of course the bitch wanted alimony, she would want his arm, leg and head too if she could have them.

"If I understand this correctly, you wouldn't sign it then either," the Judge offered.

"Am I wrong for wanting to fight for my marriage?" she retorted, with attitude in her voice. I watched James give her a warning and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Your husband has filed for divorce because of irreconcilable differences, one's he would not mention at the beginning of all of this to save you the humiliation, I would speculate. But now that I know the reason why he has petitioned the divorce, I think you should just be satisfied that he is giving you full ownership to all and any property purchased during the marriage," the Judge concluded. I knew Edward was giving Carmen all of their old property together. He said didn't want any memory of her and if he kept them he would have sold them for what they were worth to him, nothing.

"Whatever he told you is a lie, your honor."

"He didn't tell me anything; a Dr. Bradley Monroe did. He explained your relationship with him in detail, as well as proof of payment."

"He wouldn't do that, he would lose his medical license if he…"

"He did lose it, surprisingly not for the little job he did for you, but he lost it all the same. He suddenly wanted to tell all his wrongdoings," the Judge offered, cutting her off. I saw the uncomfortable look on her face from his words.

"I suggest you sign what Mr. Cullen has offered to you, or I can give another opinion regarding the newly found information I have received," he continued. Carmen inhaled a deep breath and looked over at her attorney. He nodded his head at her and she did the same looking at the Judge.

They passed to her what looked to be a stack of papers, and she began signing her name where indicated. The joy in me started to rise as I watched her finally sign those damn papers. Edward gripped my hand under the table and I smiled up at him.

Carmen's attorney handed the papers over to the Judge who began reading them out loud, to refer to all of the terms they have agreed upon as to property disposition and finances.

"The Court finds that the Plaintiff has been a resident of the State of Washington for at least six months immediately preceding the filing of the initial complaint for divorce. The Court also finds that the Plaintiff has been a resident of Seattle, Washington for at least 90 days immediately preceding the filing of the initial complaint for divorce…" the Judge began. It was sort of nerve wracking that he was going through reading the entire Decree out loud. It was a lot of legal talk that was seriously making my head hurt. I kept drifting in and out as he read from the document.

"Defendant will be restored to her maiden name, Carmen Denali, and relinquishing all rights as Mrs. Edward Cullen. She will now have ownership of a Condo located in Manhattan, New York; a beach house in the Hamptons; and a house in Hawaii. Mr. Cullen retains ownership to all stocks, bonds and other personal finances that he acquired prior to the marriage, in the total amount of…"

My jaw literally dropped at the amount the Judge was describing. I mean, I didn't even know there could be that many zeros in a number. I shifted in my seat. If I thought I wasn't good enough for him before, I was sure as hell feeling that way now.

"It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that the marriage relationship existing between the parties should be and is hereby terminated and dissolved this day June 8th 2012; both parties released therefrom, and that a Decree of Divorce is hereby awarded to the Plaintiff. Both parties shall hereafter continue to live separate and apart from each other, and neither shall annoy, molest, interfere with or harass the other in any way or manner, either directly or indirectly," he finished. The smile that formed on my face from hearing those words was like music to my ears.  
He signed the Decree making it official, and I was ready to jump up and do a dance. Edward's smile was evident as he looked at me.

When the Judge finally dismissed everyone we all stood up and I leaped into Edward's arms giving him a hug. I was so damn happy I didn't care about anyone else in the room but Edward.

"I'm so happy for you, baby," I whispered into his ear as I hugged him tighter in my arms. His arms wrapped around me as I felt his lips on neck.

I heard the disapproval tones coming from Kate's mother and Carmen as they spoke to each other, but I didn't care. Edward placed a kiss on my neck then pulled back holding my face and placed a kiss on my lips. I melted into him always enjoying his lips on mine.

When he pulled away, a grin spread across my lips as I looked up at him. The joy I saw in his eyes was amazing.

"Congratulations man," Jasper said. Edward turned thanking him for all of his help. I couldn't resist looking over at Carmen and I regretted it when I did. She was glaring at me. If looks could kill I would have been dead.

"Ready to get out of here," Edward asked getting my attention. I looked up at him and nodded my head.

Edward took my hand into his, lacing our fingers together. We left the room without so much as a second glance in Carmen's direction.

Walking out into the parking lot I was still smiling. I couldn't get rid of the smile that was on my face. He was officially, mine.

I mean I knew he was before, and that he loved me but now there was nothing tying him Carmen. I could completely understand now why he wanted to wait until the divorce was final before we went any further.

"My parents are excited about watching the kids tonight," Edward said as we approached the car and he opened the passenger door for me.

Tonight, we were all going out to celebrate Edward's official freedom from the bitch also known as Carmen. Jasper had already planned for us all to have dinner and to hang out at this club called Seduction.

Esme and Carlisle were watching Sophie and Nicky tonight. They had practically begged me. I agreed because it would make trying to surprise Sophie and Nicky a lot easier tomorrow at their birthday party.

"I hope you're happy, Edward," we heard Carmen say. We both turned around to see her coming out of the building with Kate's mother. Edward didn't reply to her as he helped me into the car.

"She only wants you for your money, I loved you!" she shouted, as I watched as Kate's mother pushing her in the opposite direction of us. Edward closed my door then walked around to the driver side and climbed into the car.

His face was unreadable as he started the car. I placed my hand on his thigh to get his attention, hoping he wasn't having any regrets.

"Tell me again," he said softly. I smiled knowing just what he wanted to hear. Sometimes I asked him to say it over and over again to me.

"I love you," I said with a smile. His own grin expanded on his face as he looked over at me. He placed a soft kiss on my lips and then he pulled off leaving Carmen screaming in the parking lot.

We went to pick Sophie and Nicholas up from summer camp. Edward must have known I was nervous about leaving them with his parents, because he suggested we all hang out there before we went out tonight.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Esme and Carlisle, because I did. I was just nervous, because it was still so new to me to have all of this help.

"Ella, we're going camping!" Sophie shouted the moment she saw me climbing out of the car.

"Yeah, in July after Independence Day," Nicholas added with excitement.

"Obviously, the two of you want to go," I said with laugh.

"Yeah, we even told our counselor that you and Edward would go too," Nicholas said as if he just told me the sky was blue.

"I'm going where?" Edward asked coming up behind me. Sophie and Nicholas both smiled up at him, which meant they were so about to beg him to go camping with them.

"We told our counselor, Ms. Tiffany, that you and Bella would go camping with our summer camp," Nicholas answered.

"Will you go, Edward, please," Sophie begged holding Edward's hand now. I rolled my eyes already knowing Edward was about to say yes.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Does this mean I have to go?" I asked with a pout.

"Yes!" all three of them shouted, which resulted in me rolling my eyes and heading back to the car while they laughed at my expense.

We stopped by my house to grab Sophie and Nicky's overnight bag then headed over to Edward's parents' place. The kids seemed so excited about staying the night with them, it made me feel even more foolish about being nervous about it.

When we arrived, I could have sworn that Edward and I were suddenly invisible with the way Esme and Carlisle greeted them. It was about five minutes before they looked up at the two of us standing there.

"So please tell me that tramp is no longer my daughter-in-law?" Esme asked, making me laugh when she realized what she said in front of the children.

"She's no longer a Cullen," Edward said with a grin.

"Oh, thank God," Esme replied, tossing her hands in the air and then pulling Edward into a hug.

"Congratulations son, maybe next time, you'll give your name to someone more deserving," Carlisle said, smiling in my direction and I know I blushed crimson.

"We can pray," Esme agreed smirking at me also.

"Believe me, the next Mrs. Cullen will be worthy of not only my name, but everything I have to give," Edward said, and I was afraid to look up at him. I could feel his eyes on me.

"Uncle Eddie!" I heard a little girl yell. I turned my head to see two little kids running our way. I looked at Esme and Carlisle who were both smiling.

The little girl ran right into Edward's arms, and he picked her up placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Amelia, when did you get here?"

"Today, daddy brought us," the little girl said and I followed Edward's gaze to a large man who was walking up the hallway. Just looking at him I knew he was a Cullen, which meant he must have been Emmett. Edward and Emmett shared a look for long time neither brother saying a word.

"Uncle Edward, guess what?" the little boy said pulling on Edward's pants leg.

"What's up EJ?"

"I know how to spell my name," the little boy said. The kids didn't look that much younger than Sophie and Nicky. EJ spelled his name for everyone and even I couldn't resist cheering for him. The little girl looked at me, then at Sophie and Nicky.

"Amelia and EJ, I want the two of you to meet three really important people to me. This is Sophie and Nicky…"

"Hi…" they all said at the same time. Edward then turned to me with a smile on his face. "…Bella, this is my niece Amelia and my nephew Emmett Jr, but we call him EJ, guys this is my Bella," Edward introduced making the kids laugh.

"Carlisle, we are going to have the best night ever, having all four of them here!" Esme said in excitement.

"Oh yeah, I was thinking we could go swimming in the pool after the parents leave, what do the four of you say?"

"Yeah!" they all yelled in excitement.

"Who wants to help me make brownies?" Esme yelled and without another word each child disappeared following behind her. Emmett still stood there looking at us. Carlisle looked between the two of them.

"The two of you try to remember there are children in the house, and I'm sure Bella doesn't feel like having to witness either of you having your asses kicked by your mother," Carlisle said before walking towards the kitchen.

I started chewing on my lip nervously as I stood next to Edward. I was waiting for one of them to say something but it was obvious they were both too damn stubborn to speak first.

"Hi, I'm Bella," I said introducing myself to Emmett.

"Edward's Bella," he replied back with that Cullen smirk.

"When did the three of you fly in?" Edward asked finally speaking.

"This afternoon. Mom said you finally divorced Carmen. Congratulations," he replied back. It was funny how happy everyone was for Edward's divorce, but since I've met Carmen. I could understand completely.

"Thanks. How's Rose?" Edward asked. The conversation between them felt like it was between two strangers instead of two brothers.

"She's Rose," Emmett replied back. They stood there quietly again neither of them saying a word.

"Have you seen Alice yet?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, I took the kids by her place earlier today."

"She's still pissed at you," Edward informed him. Emmett nodded his head.

"Are you?" Emmett asked back. I was starting to feel like maybe I should walk away and leave them to talk about this alone.

"No. Now I just feel sorry for you, I know how it feels being married to a selfish woman," Edward replied and I elbowed him in his side. I knew no one liked Rose but that was completely inappropriate.

"What?" Edward asked.

"That wasn't nice," I told him. Emmett laughed watching us.

"I think I might like her, Edward," Emmett said still laughing.

"Oh, don't make any decisions yet, I have some words for you, too. How dare you keep Esme and Carlisle away from their grandchildren…"

"…You don't know…"

"…Oh I know much more than you think I do. I haven't known your family nearly as long as you have obviously, and I would have never believed that bullshit Rose told you they said. They took me, my sister and brother in without a second thought, treating us like family and I wasn't even officially dating your brother yet. But you believed they would treat your wife inappropriately…"

"You weren't there…"

"...you're right I wasn't there. But I've lost both my parents, and I know how I would have felt if I stayed mad at them for something as stupid as a lie we all know your wife made up. How would you feel if something happened to your parents, Edward or Alice while you're still treating them like second class citizens? How long before you pull your head out of your ass and realize how lucky you are to have them alive and breathing?" I asked him. I hadn't even realized I was so angry until I was looking him in his face.

I looked between Edward and Emmett and they both had the same shocked look on their faces. Then they both started laughing and I shook my head.

"Where the hell did you find her?" Emmett asked still laughing.

"A coffee shop, believe it or not," Edward answered.

"Hold on to her, she's feisty."

"I plan to," Edward replied wrapping his arm around my waist. "Jasper is throwing me a party tonight to celebrate the divorce. You want to join us?" Edward asked him. Emmett looked just as surprised as I was.

"Seriously?"

"Unless you want to stay here with mom, dad and the kids," Edward replied.

"I rather go. I could use a good drink after the shit I've put up with the past couple months," Emmett replied.

"Good. It will be nice to hang out with you again," Edward told him. I smiled as I looked up at Edward.

"See, being nice wasn't so hard," I teased and he laughed.

"You're the one who just cursed him the hell out, Kitty, not me."

"Oh shut it, Dr. Cullen, I'm going to go make brownies with your mother and the kids," I told him walking towards the kitchen.

"Bella," he called to me. I stopped walking and turned around to look at him.

"I love you," he said with that sexy grin on his face. I smiled back at him unable to resist whenever he smiled at me that way.

"I know," I replied, causing his grin to grow wider. I walked towards the kitchen and offered to help. It seemed all the kids were getting along perfectly. Amelia did whatever Sophie did, and EJ agreed with everything Nicholas said.

"They didn't argue in front of you, did they," Esme asked standing next to me as we mixed the brownie mix in the bowls.

"No. Edward actually invited him out with us tonight," I said helping her.

"Really?"

"Yup, they were pretty civil."

"Thank goodness, I've missed my sons. You've brought Edward back from his darkness, now hopefully Emmett will return too," she said. I only smiled at her because I had a good feeling that was possible.

"I'm sure Emmett is going to come around, Esme."

"I hope so, maybe he'll get rid of that wife of his and finds a good woman like Edward found you," she said smirking at me again.

"Esme," I whispered looking at the kids. I was surprised she had said that in front of them.

"They just told me, their mother is never home, and when she is, she's fighting with Emmett," Esme told me. I didn't say anything because the truth was I didn't know what to say. Emmett was still married and his situation was completely different than Edward's; there were children involved.

"Mom, did Bella tell you how she cursed Emmett out?" I heard Edward ask, as he walked up behind me. He placed a kiss on the back of my neck. It was crazy how affectionate he still was even when people were around.

"No, she didn't tell me."

"I was scared for my life, mom," I heard Emmett say. I laughed shaking my head.

"It wasn't that bad, at least I didn't threaten bodily harm; I can't say the same for when you meet Angela," I said making Edward, Esme and Carlisle laugh. Emmett looked completely confused and I was giving him no warning.

Edward wrapped his arms around me and started whispering little sweet things in my ear. I couldn't resist my giggles or the blush filling my cheeks.

"Do you think I could taste you tonight, with chocolate?" he whispered into my ear and I knew my face was as red as a strawberry right now.

"Edward, we're in front of your parents," I said playfully shoving him. Everyone laughed at the two of us.

"They didn't hear what I said," he replied with a smirk. I rolled my eyes still feeling my blush fill my cheeks.

"Son, you are the proof that the end of something, is just the start to something beautiful," Esme said smiling our way.

"I couldn't agree with you more, mom," Edward said grinning at me.

"Who wants to go play tag in the backyard?" Edward asked. All the kids shouted they wanted to and they all followed him out to the yard.

We spent a little more time with all of them until it was time for us to go and get dressed for tonight. You would think when I left I would have gotten a goodbye from Sophie and Nicky, right? Wrong. They practically tossed me out and told me to have fun.

Edward picked up Angela and Lauren because they were both getting dressed at my house and we were taking a limo to the club. Yes, Jasper and Alice were pulling out all of the stops to celebrate this divorce.

When we got to my house, Angela and Lauren both went inside while I sat in the car with Edward.

"Are you excited to be celebrating the end of your marriage?" I asked him with a grin. He shook his head.

"That's not what I'm celebrating," he replied.

"No? What are you celebrating," I asked curious.

"The official start of our relationship, _mi amor,_" he whispered, leaning into me and placing a kiss on my lips. We made out in the car like adolescents until Angela and Lauren came to pull me out of the car.

I agreed with Esme, the ending of that ugly marriage, meant the beautiful start of my relationship with Edward.

* * *

**_Sorry for the duplicate! FFN replaced a chapter in the middle of me posting_**

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	15. Night of Seduction

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Night of Seduction_**

**_Chapter 15_**

I didn't recognize myself. I mean, I knew it was me looking back at me, but I didn't look like me if that made sense at all.

I was wearing a sexy silver, halter, mini-dress. It wasn't tight or too form fitting. Instead, it sort of draped my curves perfectly. I had on black pumps that complimented my legs effortlessly. I borrowed a bracelet and floral ring from Alice. At least I said borrow, she claimed it was a gift.  
I was excited about tonight, for multiple reasons of course.

The last time I was out at a nightclub I was still in college. I was with Kate, Tyler and a few of our other friends. I didn't enjoy myself as much as I probably should have. Tyler kept trying to talk me into having sex and when I said no, he started flirting with anything with tits.

Everyone else was pissy, fucking drunk and since I was the only one not old enough to drink, I was the designated driver.

This time though, everything would be different. One, I was going with people I actually loved to be around. Two, I was crazy about the guy in my life, and three, I was old enough to drink this time.

Yes, I was really excited about that. Wouldn't you be?

I never actually had the huge 21st blow-out birthday bash like most people. Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change one choice I made about taking care of Sophie and Nicky, but I was looking forward to being able to let my hair down and relax for a change.

"Are you still looking at yourself in that mirror?" Angela asked coming out of my bathroom. She wore a one-sleeved, nude, colored mini-dress.

"I can't help it. I look…"

"Hot!" I heard Lauren yell from my bedroom door. I turned around to see that Lauren was wearing a blue silk, strapless, mini-dress. I swore her tits were going to pop out of the damn thing if she bounced the wrong way. I turned back and looked at myself in the mirror again.

"I keep trying to tell her that, but she doesn't listen," Angela said slipping her shoes on.

"The two of you look hot. Angela, is Ben coming out with us?" I asked her, sitting down on the loveseat in my room. This would be my first time getting to meet this mystery man.

"He had to work late, but he's meeting us at the club," she said with a smile on her face.

"Am I the only one who won't have a date tonight?" Lauren asked, looking between the two of us.

"We thought you invited Paul," Angela replied, as Lauren came further into the room and sat down next to me.

"Yeah, what happened to the new boy toy?" I asked Lauren, remembering how excited she was about him.

"Bastard was cheating on his, girlfriend, with me," she said with a shake of her head.

"Are you fucking serious? Bastard isn't worth your time, we can find you someone new tonight," Angela said wiggling her eyebrows. Lauren shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, I have B.O.B," Lauren said. Angela started laughing but I was confused.

"Who the hell is Bob?"

"Battery Operated Boyfriend," Lauren and Angela said at the same time, and then started laughing.

"Oh my God, you have one of those?"

"Yes, not all of us have a boyfriend with magic fingers," Lauren chortled, as she and Angela started laughing. I blushed rolling my eyes. I swear I still had no idea why I told them anything.  
Alice's ringtone started to play on my phone and we all knew that was our cue to head outside. We grabbed our clutch purses and headed down the steps.

"Is Edward's brother Emmett really going out with us tonight?" Angela asked me again for the hundredth time.

"Yes. Edward invited him."

"I didn't even know Dr. Hot Pants had a brother. Is he as hot as Edward?" Lauren teased with a grin.

"He's married," I reminded her.

"So, if he's smart like his brother maybe there's a divorce in the works," she replied and I laughed ignoring her and setting the house alarm, then opening the front door for us to leave.

The moment I opened the door, we watched a black limo pull up. It stopped in front of the house and we watched Alice climb out of the car first. She was wearing a tight, white halter mini-dress, and she looked fierce in it.

"Looking good hot stuff," Lauren said. Alice spun around in a circle to give us all a full view, but my eyes were on the mouthwatering guy that climbed out after her. Edward was wearing a blue suit, with a light blue shirt and black tie. He even somehow tamed that unruly hair of his.

His jaw was set tight, while his eyes traveled over my body. They damn neared burned my skin as he looked at me. I watched him inhale a deep breath as he slowly started to walk over to me.

I could hear Alice, Angela and Lauren talking, but I couldn't seem to concern myself with anything they were saying. He stood in front of me, taking me in. He lowered his head, his forehead resting against mine.

"Kitty, you are going to make this night really hard on me," he whispered. I moaned as the smell of him wrapped around me.

Goodness, was it possible to be addicted to a person?

"Do you like my outfit?"

"You have no idea," he whispered back then lifted my face and placed a kiss on my lips. I moaned causing him to pull me tighter against his body. He started to devour my mouth as if we were the only two people on the planet.

"Can the two of you stop giving us a PDA show and come on," Alice said, causing us to reluctantly pull apart. We all climbed into the car and Edward kept me close to him as his fingers made little patterns on my skin.

I tried keeping up with the conversation with everyone in the car, but Edward was making that really difficult. Every once in a while I would feel his lips on my shoulder or behind my ear.

"Mr. Jaz, are we the only people meeting at this club, or will there be some hot guys joining us?" Lauren asked.

"Lauren, I thought you were seeing Paul?" Edward asked, still running his nose over my shoulder.

"I was but it turned out the bastard had a girlfriend and I refuse to be the only one not getting laid tonight," Lauren replied, and I damn near choked on air while everyone else in the car started laughing.

Could I possibly be having sex with Edward tonight?

Was I ready?

Oh God, I needed a drink.

"So you'll just have sex with some guy you've met tonight?" Emmett asked speaking for the first time since we all climbed into the car.

"Why not, men do it all the time," Lauren replied. I could see it all in her face she was waiting for him to play the _men can do it but women can't_ card.

"I think you should have more respect for yourself, you're a very beautiful woman who I'm sure could get any guy she wanted." Emmett replied. Angela and I looked at each at the same time.

"You don't know shit about me, Emmett. Just because I want to fuck doesn't mean I do not respect myself, it just means I'm a woman who likes to fuck. Maybe you don't remember how good fucking is, and need a reminder," Lauren snapped making all of us laugh.

"Okay, to answer your question Lauren, I invited a few guys, Edward and I usually play poker with and a few people from my office that we know. Everyone's happy Edward finally got this divorce," I heard Jasper say.

"You okay, baby?" Edward whispered into my ear. I nodded my head knowing that if I said I was fine, he would think I was lying.

"I'm going to make an assumption here and say that since you are joining us all tonight, Emmett, you've taken your head out of your ass," Angela said causing everyone in the limo to go silent.

"You must be Angela," Emmett replied ignoring her question.

"The one and only," Angela replied with a smirk on her face.

"I've heard about you," Emmett retorted making me and Edward laugh.

"I've heard about you too, and I'm not impressed," she snapped, making everyone in the car laugh harder.

"Ah, so you know about it, too?"

"Yes, and I think highly of your family, and I don't like the way you've treated them. I just want you to know if you don't get your shit together, I'll be more than happy to assist you," Angela continued.

"You and Bella must be best friends," Emmett said with that Cullen smirk again. This time Angela didn't reply she only smiled.

"What the hell did you do Emmett, for Angela not to respect you? I mean other than Bella, she's the most understanding person I know," Lauren said.

"You don't know?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have asked, now would I?" Lauren snapped back causing Emmett to grin at her. Alice began telling Lauren the story once again and I heard Edward groan in my ear. He seemed to become more entertained with my ear and neck as Alice told the story.

Lauren looked over at Emmett as if she was ready to slap the bullshit out of him.

"You're a complete fucking jackass, did you know that?" she asked glaring at him.

"I've been told."

"Have you at least apologized to them?" Lauren asked. Emmett didn't answer and I knew that meant _no_.

"Yeah, I'm with Angela, not impressed with you at all. Don't even know how you're even related to them," Lauren continued.

"For some reason I feel like I should change your opinion of me?"

"Don't waste your time, you'll only irritate me more, and believe me, you don't want to do that," Lauren warned. I thought about giving Emmett that warning also but changed my mind.

Everyone continued talking in the limo, but Edward seemed more focused on almost every visible spot on my body. He had me so distracted; the ride to the club seemed to only take seconds.

The line to get inside was long, but since Jasper called ahead and reserved us as a party, we were allowed right inside. Some guy greeted us and escorted us back to the section where we would all be sitting. The music was loud as we followed the man further back into the club.

The dance floor was pretty much dead center in the club, while the seats and tables surrounded it. Behind those seats were rooms. From the outside I didn't even think the club could be this huge. I looked up and saw that there were seats and a bar upstairs as well.

"This is your reserved room, anything you need just let me know. I'm Alec," the man said, directing us into a room with white, black and silver furniture.

"Alec, we want to start with a round of orgasms and is the kitchen still open?" Jasper asked. I was hoping the confusion wasn't on my face because I had no idea what an orgasm was, I mean the drink of course.

"Yes, it's open, up until an hour before the club closes," Alec answered.

"Good, can you bring us all a menu?"

"Sure thing, I'll be right back with your drinks," he said walking away. We all sat down and I couldn't hold it any more.

"What is an orgasm?" I asked getting everyone's attention.

"Edward, what have you been doing that she doesn't know what an orgasm is?" Alice teased making our group laugh.

My cheeks flushed as I spoke, "I meant the drink, Alice. Edward is doing perfectly fine in that department," I told her, making everyone laugh even louder.

"It's a shooter, Bella. It's a soft drink to start the night with, and we have to toast to Edward's freedom from the Wicked Witch," Jasper answered still laughing. I turned, looking at Edward as I started to rub his thigh.

"Yes, we do have to toast to that," I said. Edward smiled at me, and then placed a kiss on my shoulder. Alec came back with a tray filled with seven shots and the menus. We waited for him to walk out of the VIP room before we all picked up a shot glass.

"This is to Edward for finally getting rid of that dead weight and living again!" Alice giggled, making all of us laugh.

"To Edward!" we all shouted, then tossed back our shot glasses. I could see what Jasper meant, the drink was really smooth.

"Okay, I have to get something to eat before we get wasted here, or one of you will be picking me up off the floor," Angela said, picking up one of the menus and making us laugh. We all looked through the menu trying to decide what we were going to eat.

"Edward! Welcome back to single life!" Some guy yelled coming into the room. He was with two additional guys and two women. Edward laughed standing up to greet them.

I tried shaking the discomfort I felt about Edward being called single. Was he single? We hadn't actually placed a title on whatever it was we were doing. But he did love me; I knew that and for me, it was enough for right now.

I watched as Edward greeted the guys, and the two women. They greeted Jasper next and I looked back into my menu. I tried not to laugh as I heard Angela and Lauren whisper about one of the girls' outfits.

"Baby," I heard Edward call to me. I looked up and he was holding his hand out to me. Smiling, I placed my menu on the table and took Edward's hand.

"Guys, this is my Bella. Baby, this is Seth, Peter and Jared. Jasper and I play poker with them every once in a while," Edward said introducing us.

"You mean, you rob us blind," Peter said making me laugh.

"She's _your _Bella, Edward? You don't waste any time do you?" Jared questioned, but I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"J, look at her, would you waste time?" Seth said causing me to blush.

"Hell naw, Edward's just lucky he saw her first," Jared smirked, and they all laughed.

"You just remember I said she was _my_ Bella, J, and you'll get to go home with all your teeth tonight," Edward half joked back causing the guys to laugh. The women cleared their throat obviously annoyed from being ignored.

"Oh, I forgot the two of you were standing there," Edward said, and I'll admit it made me smile.

"Bella, this is Tanya and Tiffany, Peter's dates," Edward continued with a smirk. I looked over at Peter and he just shrugged his shoulders.

"She's his date, I'm just along to have a good time tonight," Tanya said eyeing Edward when she said that last part.

"Nice to meet you both," I replied with a forced smile. Then I turned my back to them and placed my hands on Edward's chest, "…baby can we order our food so we can go dance," I said looking up at him. A grin spread across his face as he looked down into my eyes.

"You want to show me your dance moves?" he asked. I could try to blame that shot we took a moment ago, but that wasn't the reason why I said what I said next.

"Among other things, like what I may or may not have on under this dress," I replied with a grin. His eyes darkened some as his jaw clenched.

"Kitty, don't think I won't check while we are here," he replied and I blushed.

"I never thought that for one second," I told him starting to walk away. He pulled me back to him and placed a searing kiss on my lips. Once we pulled apart he took my hand and we walked back to our seat. When we sat down Angela and Lauren gave me thumbs up.

"I don't think Ms. Thing over there enjoyed the PDA you two just shared," Angela said causing everyone at our table to look over at Tanya.

"So I wasn't crazy, all of you saw the way she looked at Edward, too?" Alice whispered.

"Please, a bat could have seen that. She must have thought she was about to come here and get herself a divorcee," Lauren said.

"I'm already taken," Edward said brushing his lips over my neck. I smirked as my blush inflamed my cheeks.

"Oh, we know that, Dr. Hot Pants, we are just going to have to make sure she understands it," Lauren responded. When Alec came back in to take our orders, we all ordered our dinner and then Jasper asked for another round of shots to come with our appetizers.

Kesha's _Die Young _started to blast through the speakers and Alice, Angela, Lauren and I all jumped up and told the guys we were going to dance until our food arrived. Together, the four of us walked out to the dance floor and began dancing.

We sang along with the song as we danced. I noticed Edward watching me and I smiled over at him. Dancing with the three of them was much more fun than I remembered having when I went out in college.

We danced for about three more songs before we decided to head back to the VIP room. We walked into the room to see that we had been joined by a few more people. I found it amazing how many people wanted to celebrate Edward's divorce.

It was crowded inside the little VIP room we had. Angela ran off when she saw Ben had arrived and Lauren was chatting it up with Edward's friend Jared, and I had no idea where Alice had gone to that fast. I started heading back to our table seeing that our food had arrived, and noticed Edward was sitting there talking to someone. Just as I approached the table Edward looked up at me, a smile spreading on his face.

"Did you have fun dancing?" he asked me as I slipped into my seat next to him.

"Yes, but I would have had a lot more fun if you would have joined me," I informed him. He grinned then turned his attention back to the man who was sitting across from us.

"Baby, this is my old college roommate Felix, Felix this is my girlfriend, Bella," Edward said introducing us. The smile that lit up my face at him calling me his girlfriend, could have blinded the entire night club.

"Girlfriend? Didn't you just get divorced this afternoon," Felix said with a laugh. I turned my attention to him annoyed by his remark.

"Yeah, he did," I answered. Felix stopped laughing and stared at me.

"I couldn't let a woman like _my _Bella get away, plus I've known her for months," Edward said, as his arm slid around my waist and he placed a kiss on my shoulder blade.

"You never were a man to waste time," Felix replied, still looking at me. I looked away from him and started picking at the appetizers that were at the table. I picked up a hot wing and fed it to Edward. He grinned at me taking a bite from it. He swallowed what he bit off then asked me if I wanted a drink.

"A strawberry daiquiri," I answered. He nodded his head and placed a kiss on my lips before getting up to get our drinks.

"Be nice to my girl Felix, or I'll have to whoop your ass," Edward warned. I smiled at his protectiveness.

"I'm always nice to the ladies, Edward, especially the beautiful ones," Felix retorted. I couldn't resist rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, well you try being that nice to her, you'll be missing some limbs," Edward informed him before walking away and leaving the two of us at the table. I continued eating as I watched everyone else in the room.

It was weird seeing all of these people here to celebrate with Edward. I guess some part of me was realizing that he did have a life before me. He was with me and the kids so much it just felt weird seeing and meeting the other people in his life.

"Bella, how did you talk Edward into getting into a relationship? I mean after the hell Carmen put him through, I thought he would run from the idea of settling down," Felix said as I started licking the sauce from my fingers. I picked up a napkin and wiped my hands with it.

"I didn't talk Edward into anything," I answered looking at him now.

"I guess you wouldn't have to, you're a beautiful girl," he said with a grin. "How old are you anyway?" he asked me, and I could tell he'd been waiting to ask me that question.

"Twenty-one," I answered, sitting back against my seat. I picked up my purse and pulled out my hand sanitizer.

"Ah, I get it now," he said as if he was getting some inside joke.

"Get what?"

"Nothing," he replied back with a grin on his face. We didn't say another word to each other as we sat there. Thankfully, Edward came back to our table sitting down and placing my drink down in front of me. I took a sip from it and moaned always loving how great this drink tasted.

"Good?" Edward asked with a grin on his face.

"Very, thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied before bringing his glass to his lips and taking a swallow from his drink.

"Dr. Hot Pants, did you really just go get her a drink without getting us one too?" Lauren pouted as she and Angela walked up to our table. Edward laughed placing his glass on the table.

"Ang was with Ben and Lauren make Jared buy you a drink after the boring jokes I know he was telling you," Edward told them. Angela laughed sitting down and taking my drink. She took a sip then pushed it back over to me.

"His jokes are the worst," Lauren said before taking a sip from my drink as well. Had to love best friends, right?

"Ben just went to get me a drink. So I don't need one."

"I was just teasing you, and I will not be asking Jared for a damn thing. He gives me the creeps," Lauren scowled, sliding in next to me. Felix was looking between Angela and Lauren with a perverted look in his eyes.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friends, Edward?"

"Oh yeah, Ang, Lauren, this is my old college roommate Felix. Felix this is Lauren and that's Angela," Edward introduced.

"Edward, I know back in college we bet who could get a twenty-year-old girl in our thirties, but I didn't think you had it in you," Felix said causing Lauren, Angela and me to glare at him.

"When Bella told me how old she was, I knew that was it," Felix continued. I was ready to slap the hell out of him.

"Felix, that was college, and doesn't have a damn thing to do with why I'm with Bella," Edward snapped, irritation filling his voice. I knew him well enough to know he was probably worried I would think the worst from Felix's little remark, but I knew Edward much better than that and I could never forget that he loved me.

"She's just a kid, Edward. I mean what else could you get from this other than the obvious things…"

"Felix, I'm going to suggest you stop talking right now before I make you stop by breaking your jaw," Edward snapped and this actually surprised me seeing that I never heard him threaten anyone but Carmen.

"You're fucking kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. I think it's time you leave," Edward told him, anger steaming from his body. Angela slid from the booth so that Felix could get up. He got up and looked at me, then Angela and Lauren. He went to speak but was cut off before he could say a word.

"Whatever you're about to say I highly suggest you reconsider, because I will kick you right in your balls if you insult any of us again," Angela told him. He looked in Edward's direction one more time then walked away.

"I'm sorry…"

"…Don't apologize for him being a dick. I know you are with me for many reasons and my age is not one of those reasons," I said, rubbing his thigh under the table. He smiled at me then placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"You two are so fucking adorable it makes me seasick," Lauren said making us laugh. Just then Ben walked up to the table carrying a tray of shots, and a fruity drink I assumed was for Angela.

"Congrats on the divorce," he said, placing the tray on the table. Edward smiled thanking him. Angela made the official introductions and we laughed when Lauren said she had to come up with a nickname for him. We all took a shot toasting to Edward's divorce yet again as Alice and Jasper appeared at the table.

"Where the hell did the two of you run off to?" I asked as they sat down. Alice blushed and looked over at Edward.

"I would rather not answer that question with my brother sitting at the table," she said making all of us laugh.

"I appreciate that, thank you," Edward replied taking another gulp from his drink. I finished off my drink as we all sat there talking and joking. I noticed that Emmett was nowhere in sight, but figured he was probably taking a phone call or something. Alec arrived with another tray of shots because Jasper told him to keep them coming.

"Edward, I used to think you were going to have to burn Carmen off like the unwanted tick she was to get rid of her. Though it would have been hilarious to see her run with her ass on fire, I'm happy you got out of that marriage without having to commit some form of assault on the crazy bitch," Seth said, giving the toast and making all of us laugh.

Everyone in our VIP room picked up a glass as we all held them up toasting to Edward yet again.  
Just then Pink's _Blow me_ started to play and all of us girls were out of our seats again. We left the guys to go out onto the dance floor and dance together.

We danced around laughing and shaking our asses to the music. I will admit the liquor was definitely starting to kick in. We just kept dancing as the song changed. I felt a guy's hand on my waist and instantly it felt wrong so I knew it wasn't Edward. I turned around to face the guy and began pushing him off of me.

"How you doing sexy?" he yelled over the music. I smiled at him still dancing.

"I'm good," I yelled back trying to decide the best way to get rid of him.

"I've been watching you since you started dancing," he yelled trying to come closer. I pressed my hand into his chest trying to keep him at arm's length.

"I can't dance with you?" he asked trying to take another step forward. Then I felt a body press against my back and I smiled.

"Is there a problem over here?" Edward yelled over the music. The guy looked up at him then back at me.

"I was just talking to this young lady, no trouble."

"She's doesn't look like she wants to talk to you, so I suggest you move on," Edward yelled wrapping his arm around my waist. The guy looked at where Edward's arm was around me and when he looked back into my face I smiled at him. He took the hint and walked away.

"If he came any closer to you, he would have been picking his face up off of the floor," Edward sort of yelled against my ear. I smiled just as Enrique Iglesias' _Finally Found You_ started to blast throughout the club.

_You know I'm gon' get ya, yeah_  
_Whatever it takes to, get there_  
_No I won't drop you_  
_Like everybody else does_

_Forget about your friends they don't care where we go_  
_If they do, look like lost, stand in a crowd of people_  
_I've been looking for you forever baby we go Together baby we go, we go_

Edward pulled me tighter against his body as we started moving together. I moved my hips against him and his lips ghosted over my neck as we danced.

_In this crazy world of choices I've only got a few_  
_Either you're coming with me, or I'm coming with you_  
_Cause I finally found, I finally found you_  
_You never have to worry if what I say is true_  
_Girl I've been looking for you_  
_And when I saw you I knew_  
_That I finally found, I finally found you_

He took my hands into his holding them over my head, as I started to rock my hips against his faster with the beat of the song. When the next verse started he wrapped his arms around me, his hands pressing into my abdomen.

_I'm coming I'll get ya, yeah_  
_We have a connection, that's right_  
_Cause girl I'm not letting go I'm gonna make you feel right, oh yea_

_Forget about your friends they don't care where we go_  
_If they do, look like lost, stand in a crowd of people_  
_I've been looking for you forever baby we go Together baby we go, we go_

I felt his tongue on that spot behind my ear and I moaned. His hands moved over my body, as if claiming me in front of everyone in this club. I didn't care though, I was his and I wanted everyone to know it.

_In this crazy world of choices I've only got a few_  
_Either you're coming with me, or I'm coming with you_  
_Cause I finally found, I finally found you_  
_You never have to worry if what I say is true_  
_Girl I've been looking for you_  
_And when I saw you I knew_  
_That I finally found, I finally found you_

_I finally found, I finally found you_

I turned around to face him as we continued dancing. I could feel how aroused he was getting and it was making me crazy. The song continued just as Edward lowered his head to mine and took my mouth in a kiss.

Our bodies never stopped moving as he held me against him. I couldn't seem to care if people were watching us.

_In this crazy world of choices I've only got a few_  
_Either you're coming with me, or I'm coming with you_  
_Cause I finally found, I finally found you_

_Finally finally finally found you_  
_Finally finally finally found_  
_Finally found, I finally found you_

_You know I'm gon' get ya_

By the time the song stopped Edward took my hand and began pulling me through the club. I didn't know where he was taking me but I trusted him. We ended up in a dark hallway and he pressed me up against the wall and kissed me hard. Another song started to play and I recognized it as Ne-Yo's _Let me Love you_.

"I need to touch you, Kitty," Edward practically growled into my ear. His fingers had already started sliding under my dress. For the past few days we've been teasing one another and I didn't allow him to touch me if I couldn't please him but right now I couldn't make myself care. I would have concerned myself with the fact that we were in a public place, but the moment I felt his hand on my heat I lost all train of logic.

"You're so hot, Kitty, can I touch you, _mi amor_?" he asked pressing his finger against my clit.

"Yes," I hissed out as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pressed into me making it impossible to see exactly what we were doing. His fingers pushed my underwear to the side, slipping right past my folds.

I moaned feeling his fingers enter me. Curling and bending inside of me. I pushed my fingers up into his hair and he nipped at my neck in response. His fingers pumped inside of me over and over again. I bit down on my lip to try and keep from moaning out loud.

When he pressed his thumb against my clit, massaging gently I knew I wouldn't last much longer. I rocked my hips against his magical fingers until I felt myself coming around them as I moaned his name in his ear.

"Fuck, Isabella I don't know if I can resist you much longer," he whispered into my ear. I tried breathing normally but my heart was racing.

"Then don't," I replied looking at him hoping he understood what I was saying. His fingers slipped from between my thighs and I watched as he licked my juices from his fingers.

Goodness, I was ready to rip his clothes from his body.

I never wanted anyone as much as I wanted him.

We walked back to the VIP room and everyone just smiled at us as if they knew what we were up to. Edward sat down first then pulled me into his lap.

"You two look like you're having fun?" Angela said sitting across from us. We both laughed saying nothing. I watched as Alec came over to the table with another tray of shots. Each of us picked up a glass, this time Edward making the toast.

"I want to thank everyone here for coming to celebrate with me, to endings and new beginnings," he said grinning at me.

"Endings and new beginnings!" everyone shouted then tossed their shots back. After I swallowed mine, I placed a kiss on Edward's lips. His tongue swept over the corners of my mouth making me smile.

Maroon 5, _Move like Jagger_, boomed through the clubs speakers and I started dancing in Edward's lap. His arm wrapped around my waist pressing me into him. I could feel his erection and I blushed in response.

"Keep moving like that and you'll be liable for me coming in my pants, Kitty," he whispered against my ear. Purposely I started rocking my hips against him again causing him to growl into my ear.

"Bad Kitty," he moaned swirling his tongue on that spot behind my ear. I went to say something to him as I watched Tanya walk over to our table holding two drinks in her hands.

"I thought I'd bring you a drink Edward to celebrate your divorce," she said with a smile on her face. I wanted to understand her getting him a drink, people had been doing that all night, but I just knew she was up to something.

"So you couldn't get one for everyone. I mean it's not like you had to pay for it, it is on the room's tab," Lauren said, sitting in the seat next to Angela who was cuddled up with Ben. Tanya looked over at her with a forced smile.

"Exactly, so you can go get your own," she replied and Angela held Lauren to keep her from getting up to slap Tanya, I was sure of it. Tanya turned looking back at Edward now as if I was invisible and she didn't see me sitting in his lap.

"This is one just for Edward. I know the bartender here and he let me make it, it's called _blow job_. I thought he would like one," she said with a grin on her face. I went to move but Edward pressed me down into his lap.

"Thanks, but I think I'm finished drinking for tonight," Edward replied holding me tighter in his lap as if he could hear my thoughts.

"Oh, come on, the night is still young, my blow jobs are the best, every guy says so…" was she fucking serious?

"Tanya, I don't know if maybe you're blind and don't see me sitting here in his lap or if you just deliberately ignored me sitting on his lap, but my boyfriend isn't taking a blow job from any other woman but me whether it be drink or physical, do you understand?" I snapped, ready to slap the hell out of her for the last remark.

"I was only offering him a drink."

"Yeah, right and I'm the Virgin Mary," Lauren replied making us laugh.

"I'll leave the drink in case you change your mind, Edward," she said placing the drink on the table and walking away.

"That bitch was bold," Angela said laughing.

"She's lucky, I don't make her wear that damn drink," I said annoyed. Edward pulled me back against him.

"I think I like jealous Bella," he whispered into my ear.

"Oh shut up," I said elbowing his gut and making him laugh. Alice and Jasper came over to the table after setting the dance floor on fire and slid in next to Angela.

"You just missed Edward being offered a blow job?" Angela said making Alice spit out some of her drink and Jasper laughed so hard he started choking.

"Bella, did you really just offer him that out loud?" Alice asked and we all laughed as my face turned hot red.

"It wasn't her that offered, it was her," Lauren said pointing at Tanya.

"Are you fucking serious?" Alice snapped.

"She offered me a drink called, blow job," Edward said pointing to the cup that still sat on the table.

"She was offering much more than a drink," I said still annoyed. Edward placed a kiss on my neck.

"I only want a blow job from you, Kitty," he whispered making me roll my eyes as I smiled at his statement.

"Have any of you seen where Emmett disappeared to?" Alice asked, and everyone shook their heads.

"Last I saw he went to the second floor," Angela said.

"Edward invites him out and he disappears," Alice said obviously annoyed.

"I sat with him for a little while, he looked really stressed," Lauren said and that surprised me.

"He should be stressed, marrying a cow like Rosalie," Alice said. Jasper wrapped his arms around her as if to soothe her.

"Give him a break, Alice, he just found out something a few weeks ago, and Rose is putting him through a lot of shit," Edward told her. I was curious now what that might have been.

"He made his bed and now has to lay in it, should I feel sorry for him?" she asked back.

"Yes, you should," Edward snapped back at her. She didn't say anything else as she looked at him. It was the one and only time it was obvious that she was the little sister and Edward was her older brother.

Alec came over to our table to see if we needed anything and we all ordered a drink with a large order of French fries. Quickly, we changed the subject from Emmett to something else entirely.

We all sat there talking and joking until Alec came back with our drinks and the French fries.  
I fed Edward the French fries and grinned like a moron whenever he took my finger into his mouth. Most of the night, I was completely oblivious of the people around us. Though, Angela getting cozy with Ben had not gone unnoticed to me.

Edward placed a French fry in my mouth just as I saw Emmett. He came over with a tray of shots also wanting to toast to Edward. I was so going to have a fucking hangover by tomorrow.

He placed them on the table, instructed all of us to pick up one. Each of us did so and Emmett held his glass up in the air.

"To my little brother for having more balls than me in divorcing the money hungry, cheating bitch for wives we both married," Emmett said, then he tossed his glass back down his throat. Everyone at our table was silent as we all looked at each other.

"Emmett, are you drunk?" Edward asked.

"I had two, three or maybe ten shots at the bar. I'm really happy for you little brother," Emmett answered picking up another shot and tossing it back.

"Okay, I think we need to get him in a taxi," Alice said all of us agreeing.

"I'm fine, guys really. Did you know that Rose cheated on me almost our entire marriage and Amelia might not be mine? Yup, bitch wasn't even going to tell me either," Emmett continued and I looked at Edward completely speechless.

"Fuck," Edward groaned as he started moving me from his lap. I slipped from the seat and Edward and Jasper took Emmett back to the bathrooms.

"I'm going to kill that bitch!" Alice yelled, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. I watched her press some buttons then she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Rose, you little skank, oh you know damn well who this is! I should kick your ass for what you did to my brother! Are you laughing? O, when I get my hands on you I'm going to…" Alice stopped and looked at her phone.

"That bitch hung up on me!" Alice yelled. She went to call back and I quickly snatched the phone from her hands.

"Ugh, my brothers were so fucking stupid when they married these damn skanks!" Alice snapped. Edward and Jasper came back with Emmett. They sat him down and Edward looked down at me.

"I think I should take him back to my place, my parents shouldn't see him like this and I don't want the kids to hear him," Edward said and I nodded my head getting up from my seat.

"Okay, I'll call a taxi for us," I said pulling my phone out my purse.

"Baby, you can stay, I don't want to ruin your night," he said and I shook my head at him.

"I won't have any fun without you, and you might need my help with him. I'm leaving with you, all right?" I pressed. He smiled at me and nodded his head. I handed Alice's cell phone to Jasper and let him know that she called Rose.

I called a taxi for us and Jasper helped Edward get Emmett into the car. The three of us left and I was starting to feel like my buzz was gone.

When we arrived at Edward's house, I paid the taxi driver while Edward got Emmett into the house. By the time I got inside Edward had already gotten Emmett upstairs into one of the spare bedrooms. Edward walked out of the room just as I walked upstairs.

"Is he asleep?"

"Yeah," Edward said rubbing the tension out of his neck. Standing in front of him I started pulling at his tie to remove it.

"I'm sorry your night was ruined, baby," I said feeling bad.

"He told me before we left for the club," Edward said, and I looked up at him as I pulled his tie loose.

"…he didn't want to come out and ruin the night, but I encouraged him to, instead of sitting at my parents' place alone. I thought maybe hanging out with everyone would be good for him," he continued.

"You were only trying to help him, baby," I said pulling the tie from around his neck. We walked to Edward's bedroom and both undressed. Edward gave me one of his shirts to wear to bed and we both climbed in lying down.

"I hated Carmen for what she did to me, but Rose lying about who Amelia's father might be is just…sometimes I think the two of them could be related," Edward said with his back up against the headboard.

"What's Emmett going to do?"

"He doesn't know, he's afraid of losing the kids," Edward answered. I could definitely understand a fear like that. It was my biggest fear. I didn't say anything as I placed my head against Edward's chest. He wrapped his arm around me and I felt him press his lips against the top of my head.

"You know I had big plans for tonight, but there is no way it's happening with my drunk brother in the next room," Edward said laughing a little. I smiled knowing what he meant. I looked up at him.

"Maybe it was the universe telling us that tonight just wasn't the night."

"The Universe uh?"

"Yup, it's brought us this far hasn't it?" I asked. He grinned at me and lowered his head to mine, his nose rubbing over mine.

"It's brought me you, so I'll trust it," he said. I smiled and placed a kiss on his lips.

"I love you."

"I love you," he replied holding my face in his hand as he kissed me passionately.

"Fuck! Don't ever let me drink again!" we heard Emmett shout as he ran through the hallway. We both started laughing as I climbed out of the bed.

"I'll go make some coffee," I said.

"Emmett is so paying for this," Edward said. I smiled leaning over to place a kiss on his lips.

"How about this, on your birthday, just you and me? No one else and you can have me in every way you want, and we won't have to worry about being interrupted," I told him. His birthday was only a little more than a week away.

"I don't know if I can wait that long, Kitty," he said biting at my lip.

"We can just have more nights of seduction, plus I really want to give you me for your birthday," I said against his lips.

"My birthday?"

"Yes, I'll even wrap myself in a bow," I replied. He grinned pulling me back into the bed and devouring my mouth. Then we heard the most disturbing sound coming from the bathroom up the hall.

"I'm going to kill him for ruining tonight," Edward growled against my lips and I laughed.

"Be nice, he's going through a rough time. I'll go make some coffee and you go make sure he hasn't vomited up his large and small intestines, Dr. Cullen," I told him. He groaned but did as I said.

Once Emmett sobered up some, the two of them started talking and I went to bed leaving them alone. I felt Edward slip into bed with me later in the night.

"Thank you for coming into my life; I love you so much," he whispered. I snuggled closer against him as he held my tightly in his arms.**_  
_**

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	16. Birthday Surprise!

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Birthday Surprise!_**

**_Chapter 16_**

I felt hands on me, slowly caressing my thighs. Then it was followed by a few kisses on the back of my neck. A soft moan escaped from my lips when I felt his hand slip between my thighs. I could have woken up like this every morning, if it was possible. I pressed my ass into his morning wood and I heard him groan against my ear. I wanted to feel him on me, even if our clothes were separating us.

"Are you awake, Kitty?" Edward whispered into my ear. I answered by pressing my body harder against his. I could feel his smile against my skin. He turned me onto my back so that he was hovering over me now. I could feel his warm breath caressing my skin as his nose brushed over my jaw and neck.

"You're so beautiful in the morning," he breathed, as his right hand still stroked my thigh. I lifted my leg allowing him to settle between my legs. My heart fluttered in my chest feeling his hard erection press against my heated middle.

"Are you saying I'm not beautiful the rest of the day?" I teased. He nipped at my neck in response.

"You know damn well, that's not what I'm saying," he growled. I smiled, wrapping my arm around him and brushing my fingers over the soft hairs on the back of his neck. He swirled his tongue over the thin skin there, causing me to fist his hair in response.

"We have to get to my house and set up for the party," I reminded him trying to remember myself. Slowly, his tongue slid over the column of my neck the same time he pressed hips into mine.

"We have time," he replied taking my earlobe into his mouth now. I was having a really hard time focusing. Everything with Edward was a new experience, every time he kissed me, touched me. It made me crazy how much he made me want him.

Before Edward, I didn't see what the big deal was about having sex, it was why I wasn't in any rush before to do it. Now, being with him, all I could think about was how amazing it would be the first time we made love, the first time I get to feel him inside of me.

I wanted that.

I wanted him.

I wanted that _with_ him.

He pressed into me again and my hips lifted from the bed for more. I wanted…

No, I needed to feel more.

"Edward," I moaned against his ear as my fingers scratched over his scalp.

"I know, Kitty," he breathed as I felt his hands start to pull at my underwear. My breathing increased in anticipation, was I ready now?

"Edward, wait," I sighed, reaching for his hand. He shifted over me and looked down into my face. I looked at him unable to resist the smirk forming on my face.

He was gorgeous.

"What?" he asked, returning my smile.

"We can't, not now," I said. He lifted a questioning brow and I cupped his face in my hand. "We will soon, but I really want it to be perfect. Rushing before the kid's birthday party, and with your hungover brother in the guest bedroom, isn't exactly how I pictured my first time," I informed him, then cursed myself when I realized what I said. He looked at me for a long time saying nothing and it worried me. I never actually told him I was still a virgin. He inhaled a deep, frustrated breath as he rested his forehead against mine.

"You've never been with anyone?"

"No."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I don't know. I worried that you would think I couldn't satisfy you because I've never been with anyone," I replied chewing on my lip. He cupped my face in his large hand.

"Bella, you satisfy me by simply letting me hold you, and kiss you. The day we make love, you won't be able to find a more satisfied man, do you understand?" he asked. I nodded my head feeling horrible for getting him all worked up only to stop it.

"I'm sorry," I said running my fingers through his hair. He shook his head at me.

"Don't apologize for being right, Bella. Your first time should be perfect, because you're perfect," he replied and I couldn't stop the unladylike snort that erupted.

"I don't know about that."

"I do! You're perfect to me, for me," he said, making my heart flutter in my chest again. He was silly if he thought I was the perfect one in this relationship.

"I love you," I said with a smirk.

"I love you," he replied, placing a kiss on my nose. "Let's go take a shower," he soothed, getting up from the bed. I sat up on my elbows glaring at him. He laughed holding his hand out for mine.

"Best behavior," he promised. I took his hand and he helped me up from the bed. We both entered his bathroom and he started the shower.

I was nervous. I honestly didn't know why. It wasn't like he hadn't already seen every part of my body.

But this was different, a new scale of intimacy.

"You okay?" he asked when he turned around. Chewing on my lip, I nodded my head _yes_. He cupped my face in his hand.

"You can take your shower first and I could take mine…"

"…no, I want to shower with you," I blurted, cutting him off. He smiled that gorgeous smile at me again.

"Whatever you want, Kitty. I just want you to be comfortable," he replied. I stepped closer to him, slipping my arms around his waist.

"I'm always comfortable with you," I informed him. He smiled and placed a kiss on my forehead. We undressed and I didn't look up at him until I was completely naked.

I think what worried me, was that all the other times he's ever seen me naked, was in dim lighting. A part of me still worried he was going to come to his senses one day.

Slowly, my eyes raked over his perfectly chiseled body. He wasn't overly toned like some body builder; he was perfect. I had to inhale deeply to keep from moaning when I saw his erection - so large, hard, perfect and…

Damn it, I think I started to drool.

What was I saying?

I reluctantly pulled my eyes away from his erection and looked up into his eyes. He was looking at me as if I was the most desirable living creature on the planet. He breathed in deeply, causing his chest to puff up.

I smiled at him, feeling completely foolish that he would be unhappy with what he saw. The look of gratification that was on his face took away any fear I had. He held his hand out to me; I took it stepping into the shower first.

"Is the water too hot?" he asked, climbing in behind me and closing the shower door.

"No, it's perfect," I replied, holding my hand under the spray of the shower. I felt him close behind me, as I watched his hand come up under the spray. I watched his hand descend from the water and then felt both his hands on my hips.

I closed my eyes, just enjoying the touch of his hands on me. He was never rough, always gentle, possessive, but tender.

I don't know when he grabbed the sponge but I fell back against his chest when he started to wash my body. I felt his heavy breathing in my ear as the sponge washed over my curves, stomach, breast and then the folds between my thighs.

I moaned and he held me tighter against his wet body. I was playing with fire right now and I knew it. His finger dipped between my folds and I placed my hand over his, wanting him to stay just where he was.

"Right there," I moaned as he started pumping his finger inside of me. Licking my lips, I let my head fall back against his shoulder, as his finger entered me over and over again. His breath washed over my ear as he slipped another finger inside.

"Will you cum for me, Isabella?" he breathed into my ear. I moaned my response and his fingers curled, twisted and teased my internal walls until I succumbed to his touch moaning his name. His fingers slipped from my body and I could hear him suck my juices from his fingers.

"Turn around," he instructed. I swallowed hard but did as told. He pressed me against the shower wall, his hands moving over my body as if trying to memorize each curve and measurement.

"Place your leg up on the seat," he instructed again. Never taking my eyes away from his, I lifted my leg up onto the seat.

"Good Kitty," he moaned, placing kisses on my neck and further down my body. My breathing quickened knowing what was coming. Lower his mouth traveled down my frame until he was kneeling down before me.

He looked up at me, desire burning in those hazel eyes of his. I watched him, my heart pounding as his tongue flicked against my core. My eyes shut tight as his tongue continued repeatedly with longer and harder licks.

My hands began clawing at the walls for something to hold on to, something to support my unsteady legs. He sucked my clitoris into his mouth and my moan echoed against the walls of the shower.

I felt the tip of his tongue swirling and toying with my ripe pearl. "Ah, please don't stop," I moaned, fisting his hair in my right hand while the left gripped the shower knob to keep from falling.

He gripped my thigh in his hand, and commenced devouring me as if he was a hungry man and I was his meal. His tongue entered me, filled me as he teased and tortured me. Fisting his hair in my hands, I rocked my hips against his mouth, wantonly begging for more.

Edward's tongue pressed against my spot and I convulsed, my screams filling the bathroom. His fingers dug in my thighs holding me up as he consumed me. My back arched from against the shower wall enjoying every sinful, pleasurable moment of having his mouth on me this way.

His lips caressed my inner thighs, and then up the rest of my body until he was standing over me again. I peeled my eyes open to look at the little smug smile on his face.

"I've wanted to do that since I saw you in that dress last night," he told, me pressing himself against me. I felt his erection brush over my opening. Nothing was between us now. He could enter me right now and…

No. It just wasn't how I wanted our first time together to be. Maybe it was silly to some, but when I gave myself to Edward, I wanted it to be memorable. I knew no matter what, it would be special, but this wasn't it.

But I wanted him so badly it hurt.

"I know, Kitty, I want you too. But the first time I take you, it will be in a bed, not this shower. We'll save that for another time," he said, as if he could hear the conflict in my thoughts. I smiled up at him.

"Wash my hair?" I asked. He smiled at me and reached for the shampoo. He put the shampoo into my hair, treating me delicately. Then he held my face between his hands and tilted my head back under the water. His fingers massaged my scalp slowly and I couldn't resist the moan that escaped my lips.

When he stepped closer to me, I felt him hard against my stomach. I couldn't let him stay that way. I lifted my head looking at him as the water ran down my face. Never taking my eyes off of his, I took his cock into my hands.

"Bella," he moaned his jaw clenching.

"I told you, you were no longer allowed to walk away in pain after pleasing me. Let me return the favor, please," I moaned with my lips ghosting over his ear. I squeezed him in my hand, and I heard the groan in his throat. Using my tongue I licked up the drops of water on his chest, and neck.

I turned us slightly so that I could sit down on the seat in the shower. Looking up at him I saw he was already watching me. His eyes were boring into me as I stroked him slowly. Holding him, I flicked my tongue out against the tip tasting him. I moaned, feeling like my taste buds were dancing in delight.

Watching him from under my lashes, I did it again and again. His eyes closed as he planted his hand on the wall. I licked his entire shaft repeatedly, swirling my tongue over the tip each time. I saw when his hand fisted against the wall.

Still watching him, I placed him into my mouth, slowly.

"Fuck," he growled, his head falling back. I sucked more of him into my mouth, keeping my jaws tight around him. While I might have been a virgin, I learned a few things.

I hated doing this when I was with Tyler, but with Edward I could kept him in my mouth for hours. He tasted even better than he smelled.

I began to suck Edward into my mouth, relaxing my throat so that I could fit all of him. I felt his hand in my hair when he touched the back of my throat. I was pretty certain he moaned my name, but I was more focused on his glorious cock in my mouth.

Gradually, I pulled him from my mouth, and then re-entered him. Over and over I did this, listening to his moans, feeling his hand grip my hair tighter. It was driving me crazy, that I had this power over him. Using my free hand, I encouraged him to pump into my mouth. I wanted him to enjoy this.

He was resistant; probably worried he would hurt me. I pulled him from my mouth again and looked up at him.

"It's okay, just enjoy it, don't think…" I informed him. I slipped him back between my lips, allowing my teeth to graze over his shaft slightly. His hand tightened again. I picked up my pace this time, knowing that he would be unable to resist to thrust.

He twitched inside of my mouth, pulsed as I took him in over and over again.

"I'm getting ready to cum, Kitty," he growled trying to get me to release him, but I didn't. I wanted to taste him, needed to. I had never felt this hunger for a man before, never wanted to consume him in such away.

Edward brought out a side of me I didn't know.

The sex kitten, he called her.

_Kitty_

His moan was deep, long and loud as I felt him pulse in my mouth in his release. I only sucked him faster, impatiently waiting for him to fill my mouth. I slurped, gulped and swallowed every drop that came from him.

I think in that moment, I had officially become addicted to him.

When I felt like I might have gotten each drop, I pulled him free from my mouth. Licking my lips I looked up at his satisfied face. I went to speak but was quickly interrupted when he pulled me up from the seat and took my mouth in a kiss.

It was hot, passionate as he kissed me. He released my lips when we both needed to breathe, placing softer, smaller kisses on my jaw and neck.

"You are going to be the death of me, Kitty," he whispered making me laugh. Eventually, we pulled ourselves together to actually wash and to get out of the shower.

Thankfully, I still had a few clothes here from when the kids and I spent the night. After we dressed we went downstairs to have a quick breakfast before heading over to my house. The moment we walked into the kitchen, Emmett looked up at us with a grin on his face.

"Did the two of you forget that there was someone else here?" he asked, causing me to blush crimson. I don't know why it didn't occur to me that Emmett heard us in Edward's shower.

"No, we just didn't care. Get your big ass dressed; you're helping us decorate Bella's place for the kids' party," Edward answered, walking over to the coffeemaker.

"Gee, thanks for asking."

"I don't have to ask, you owe me and Bella for ruining our night and making us have to take care of you last night," Edward said, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're going to hold this over my head aren't you?"

"Not nearly as long as you held your bullshit ass grudge against me," Edward scowled, and I could see he was still angry, rightfully so.

Emmett didn't reply, he just nodded his head and got up from the table. He walked past me and out of the kitchen. I looked over at Edward.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything," I replied walking over to his refrigerator. I pulled it open and took out the carton of eggs and some bacon.

"I should have just left him in the club last night," Edward said as I placed the food on the counter.

"You wouldn't have done that because you care about your brother, even if you are still pissed at him," I soothed, walking over to him. I wrapped my arms around him as I looked up into his face.

"Your caring heart is one of the reasons I love you," I informed him. He smiled at me, and then placed a kiss on my lips.

"We were close before Rose showed up. He surprised the hell out of me that he actually believed I would come on to his wife, and then he actually punched me over that bullshit. I was pissed," Edward said. We never talked about what happened between him and Emmett. He knew that Alice and Esme had told me, but _we_ never talked about it.

"You had every right to be pissed, but don't hold a grudge against him for it. Repeating the same behavior he showed isn't going to make anything better," I reminded him. He smiled down at me, with that look in his eyes.

"Your intelligence and maturity is definitely one of the reasons I love you," he said. I laughed blushing.

"And here I thought you only loved me for my body," I joked. He palmed my ass pressing me into his body.

"Not even close," he replied. I laughed and placed a kiss on his lips. I made a quick breakfast and we all sat down to eat. It was quiet at the table, and it wasn't a comfortable silence like when Edward and I were alone. It felt awkward.

"Bella, you're raising your brother and sister on your own?" Emmett asked me, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah," I answered, wondering where that question came from.

"That can't be easy on your pockets, being so young and raising two children," Emmett said, and I shifted in my seat. I saw Edward's nostrils flare and I rubbed his leg to get him to relax.

"It's not easy but we manage."

"Really a brave and amazing thing you're doing for them; don't think I ever met anyone who would have done the same," he said and I shrugged my shoulders. I couldn't speak for other people, just myself.

"Had to be hard to decide to give up your life to take care of your younger siblings," he said. I shook my head.

"It wasn't a hard choice to make because it was the only choice I considered," I answered. He smiled at me, much like Esme, Carlisle and Alice did when I told them the exact same thing. We sat there in silence again.

Then Emmett looked up at me and asked, "Where did you go to school?"

"UCLA," I answered after I finished chewing my food.

"Really? What made you decide to go to school all the way out there?"

"The experience I guess," I replied, feeling uncomfortable answering his questions. I wasn't really surprised he was asking, more surprised that it appeared he cared.

"When did you graduate? I mean, my parents said you were young and…"

"She didn't graduate; she had to drop out to take care of Sophie and Nicky," Edward answered in a defensive tone. He was just like Lauren and Angela, they hated when anyone began to question me and my choices too much. I loved each of them for it.

"They needed me, so I put my education on hold," I answered, running my fingers through my hair.

"Do you plan to go back to school?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, one day. I can't really afford it right now but…"

"…why didn't you tell me that?" Edward asked cutting me off. I could see it all in his face, he was about to offer to pay for me to go back to school.

"No, Edward."

"Bella, I have more than enough money and…"

"…no, I will find my own way," I told him, focusing back on the food on my plate.

"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? Why can't you just let me help you?"

"Because I don't want to owe you more than I already do," I sort of whispered yelled at him, still looking into my plate. I heard him inhale a deep breath and I was sure he probably pinched the bridge of his nose. He lifted my face, forcing me to look at him.

"I am helping you because I love you; you don't owe me anything," he said with a serious tone and look on his face.

"You do so much for me and the kids, I just feel like I don't give you enough in return."

"You gave me you. I don't need or want anything else," he replied, like the perfect man he was. It was when he said things like that, when I felt like I wasn't doing enough.

When I felt I didn't deserve him.

"Now, will you let me help you?"

"Can we talk about this alone?" I asked, cutting my eyes at Emmett. In truth, I still wasn't comfortable with taking money from Edward, and especially not a large sum like college tuition. Using Emmett as my scapegoat just worked.

Edward inhaled a deep breath looking over at his brother, then he looked back at me.

"Later," he said. I nodded my head and thankfully the conversation was dropped. We finished eating, Emmett asking me more questions about myself. I blushed when he told Edward he was a lucky man for finding me.

"I thank whoever placed her in my path every night," Edward replied, before placing a kiss on my temple.

I swear I didn't understand what everyone else saw so special about me. I know what I was doing for Sophie and Nicky was amazing, but to me it was my life, not a choice I made to get a pat on the back.

"Emmett, if it's any consolation, I do feel sorry for what Rose is putting you through. No one deserves something like this, especially not the kids," I said. He looked at me, and a little smile appeared on his face.

"And here I thought I got what I deserved for putting a money-hungry bitch like Rose before my family," he said. I wasn't sure how to reply to that, so I didn't.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Edward asked.

"I was up all morning thinking about that and to take the words from Bella, there is only one choice I actually considered and that was to fight for custody. Whether they are my kids biologically doesn't matter to me, because they are mine in every other way," he answered and in that moment I had a newfound respect for him.

"I could give you the number to my lawyer, he's the best in my opinion," I offered. I knew Jonathan would help any way he could in a custody battle.

"That would be great, thanks, Bella."

"Of course," I replied with a genuine smile. Edward smiled over at me again making me blush.

After we finished eating, we left for my house to get started on decorating. When I arrived I wasn't surprised to see that Alice, Jasper, Angela and Lauren were already here. I had honestly forgotten that Angela had a key to the house.

We walked inside and everything looked amazing. The streamers were up and the balloons were all over the place.

"Angela, are those tables ready, the bakery will be here soon with the cakes!" I heard Alice yell, from where I wasn't sure.

"I told you yes, thirty minutes ago you pixie!" I heard Angela yell back making us laugh as we stood at the front door.

"Hey, about time the two of you got your asses here," Angela said walking into the foyer.

"Yeah, after we already did most of the work," Alice teased coming down the steps. I laughed shaking my head.

"Well, sorry, but I was up most of the night taking care of a certain idiot who got pissy drunk," I said eyeing Emmett.

"Damn it, and here I thought that you and Edward finally did the wild thing last night," Lauren said walking up behind Angela and everyone started laughing.

"Nope, no such luck," I replied with a pout and they laughed.

"There was no way that was happening with his ass throwing up every half hour," Edward added as we all continued to laugh.

"They made up for it this morning," Emmett said, and I turned around and slapped his arm while everyone started laughing.

"Hey, that actually hurt," Emmett said, rubbing the spot, "Edward, get your girl, she's abusive," Emmett interjected and I smiled at the joy of being called _Edward's girl_.

"Nope, you deserved it, you fucking pervert," Edward replied with a grin.

"How am I a pervert when the entire neighborhood probably heard the two of you?" Emmett asked, which of course, only making everyone laugh even louder as Jasper came into the foyer to see what we were laughing about.

"At least we didn't throw up and shit in our pants all at once," I said causing everyone to roar in laughter. Emmett looked completely shocked I said something but he had it coming.

"I was completely fucked up last night, and wasn't myself. Is everyone really going to just laugh at my expense?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, because only an idiot would get that drunk, and tell a room full of strangers their personal business," Lauren replied. Emmett just looked at her, never replying.

She seemed to be the only person that seized him from talking. Not that it really surprised me, she could be intimidating.

"Okay, what still needs to be done?" I asked, changing the subject. Alice gave out the orders, how she became the one in charge I'll never know.

We worked quickly to get everything set up, it honestly wasn't until now that I realized I might have gone a tad overboard getting everything for the party. The guys were out back blowing up a bouncy house, and Angela was showing the guy from the petting zoo where he could set up. I was honestly just grateful we had such a large backyard.

Lauren and Alice helped me in the kitchen with the food and in no time we were complete. The guests started to show up right on time and I had already gotten a text from Carlisle that they would be here in an hour with the kids.

Alice told Emmett to go pick Amelia and EJ up from Esme and Carlisle's house so that they were here to surprise Sophie and Nicky as well. People were slowly starting to arrive and Jasper and Edward were directing them to the backyard.

"Would you stop loving me if I played in the bouncy house with the kids?" Edward asked me, coming into the kitchen from the back door. I laughed as I placed the food on the trays.

"No, but I would start to question who's the older one in our relationship," I replied with a smirk. He walked over to me and planted a kiss on my lips.

"Say that again."

"Say what again?" I asked with a laugh.

"The _our relationship_ part," he said with that silly grin on his face. I laughed shaking my head at him.

"Some relationship, you've yet to even take me on a proper first date," I teased and he slapped his hand over his chest as if I wounded him.

"Kicking my ass in UNO by candlelight wasn't the perfect date?" he joked, causing me to roll my eyes at him. Alice and Lauren laughed as they took the finished trays outside. Edward came over and pulled me into his arms.

"Don't worry, Kitty, I've been planning our first date for the past two weeks. Angela already agreed to babysit," he told me. I looked up at him just as the doorbell rang. He only grinned then placed a kiss on my lips before walking out of the kitchen to answer the door.

I was surprised when Edward came back into the kitchen laughing with Jacob and Leah following behind him.

"Hey Bells," Jake said, still laughing at whatever Edward said to him.

"Hey Jake, Hey Leah," I said in surprise. I don't know why I was surprised they were here since it was really my fault they didn't come by as much as they used to.

"I hope you don't mind that we crashed, I brought a red velvet cake," Leah said, holding it up and I laughed shaking my head. Leah was the best baker you could ever imagine, at least in my opinion.

When I used to help her out while Jake was overseas, she used to make me red velvet cakes. It was my absolute favorite.

"Since you brought a red velvet cake, you can stay as long as you want," I joked making them laugh. Leah placed the cake on the counter and came over pulling me into a hug.

"I swear I am so sorry, I can't say that enough," she whispered into my ear. I felt horrible that I blamed her. That I lashed out at her for not noticing the break in sooner, for not calling the police right away. None of it was her fault, and in truth if it wasn't for her, my parents' killer could have gotten away that night.

"I'm sorry too," I said and she smiled at me.

"Do you need help with anything?"

"You could help me with these trays," I said. She nodded her head and started to help me. Edward and Jake both smiled at me then they walked outside to finish helping out there.

Leah and I finished up with the trays and then took them out back. I looked around hoping that Sophie and Nicky would like it. Our mom was a huge birthday person, she loved birthdays which is why my birthday was hard to deal with now.

But I was determined for Sophie and Nicky to have the same birthday experiences she gave me. I had no idea how my mother did this every year for me growing up, but I was going to try.

Emmett arrived with the kids and let me know his parents told him they would be leaving soon. Mrs. Weber…er I mean Kathleen arrived with the buckets of ice cream from the ice cream parlor. She was such a life saver since that was the one thing I actually forgot to get. I was growing more excited by the minute.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out seeing it was from Esme.

**_Be there in five ~ Esme_**

It read. I yelled at everyone to get into place before they arrived. I told Esme and Carlisle to bring them right to the backyard.

"Are you nervous?" Angela asked with a smile on her face.

"Yes, I'm not good at this like my mom was," I replied.

"You did awesome, Bella. I mean seriously, it looks like Renee did this herself," Angela told me and I smiled.

"Good, do you think they will like it?"

"If they don't, you can throw me a birthday party just like this next year," Jasper said, walking up next to me and making me laugh.

"I'm going to hold you to that," I said, playfully pointing a finger at him. Edward came around the back with a smile on his face.

"They're parking in the driveway now," he said walking over to me. We stood there, excitement building as I heard Sophie ask why they had to go in the back door.

The moment they rounded the house we all yelled surprise and Sophie screamed while Nicholas stood there with his jaw practically hitting the floor. I walked over to them and they both gave me a hug.

"You gave us a surprise party, Ella," Sophie said hugging me.

"Of course, last year I didn't really have the chance," I replied.

"Thanks, Bella. This looks awesome!" Nicholas said looking around.

"Go, go have fun," I told them. They ran off towards their friends from school and I stood there with a smile.

"Told you they would like it," I heard Jasper say from behind me. I rolled my eyes as I turned to Esme and Carlisle to thank them.

"If we told you once, we'll tell you a thousand times, you don't have to thank us," Esme said with a smile. The party started to really get into the swing of things as the late people started showing up.

The doorbell rang and Edward told me he would go and answer it for me. Esme and I went into the house to get some popsicles out of the freezer for the kids.

"What are you doing here?" I heard Edward ask in a loud irritated voice. I didn't hear the person's reply, but by the tone in Edward's voice I knew he wasn't happy with them being here.  
Esme and I walked to the front door to see a woman standing there, it was the woman I noticed standing outside of the kids' school the last day of school. The woman I said looked familiar.

"Bella," she said smiling at me, and I suddenly had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. She wasn't just some woman that looked familiar.

"Bella, tell him that I'm your mother. I told him but he doesn't want to let me in," she said and my chest felt tight.

Why was she here?

What made her think she had any right to show up here?

That she had any right to call herself _my mother_.

"My mother died over a year ago, you need to leave Marie," I said shaking my head.

"Bella," she started, taking a step towards me but Esme pushed me behind her just as Edward stood directly in front of Marie.

"Leave or I can get the police to remove you," Edward enforced. Marie looked at me again she didn't move, she just looked at me with sad eyes.

_My eyes._

It wasn't even my birthday and somehow I ended up with the biggest surprise of all.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	17. Will power tested, Swan Approved

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Will power tested, Swan Approved_**

**_Chapter 17_**

I couldn't stop looking at her. We looked alike, more than I looked like _my_ mom and I hated it. I didn't want anything to do with her.

She wasn't _my_ mother.

Renee Swan was my mother.

Marie, was just the bitch who gave birth to me.

"Bella, please, I just want to talk," she said, trying to look over Edward's arm that was holding her back.

"She asked you to go, you need to leave?" Esme said holding me protectively behind her. Inhaling a deep breath, I moved Esme's arm from around me. I couldn't let her and Edward fight this battle for me.

"I can handle it," I said hardly above a whisper.

"Are you sure dear, we can get rid of her if you want us to?" Esme said turning to me. I heard Marie snort and Esme turned around glaring at her.

"Don't think I won't get rid of you. You're a disgrace as a mother," Esme snapped at her. Marie inhaled a deep breath and folded her arms over her chest.

"Yes, I'm sure," I answered.

"Okay, I'll keep the kids out back. If you need me, yell, understood?" she asked me. I nodded my head and she turned around looking back at Marie. Edward had yet to move from in front of the door.

"If you so much as make her cry, you will regret coming to this house," Esme notified her. I saw the surprised look pass on Marie's face.

"Edward," Esme called to him but he didn't move. "Edward, let them talk," Esme said placing her hand on his shoulder.

"They can talk, but I'm not leaving Bella alone with her," Edward replied protectively. Esme looked over at me and I nodded my head letting her know it was okay. I didn't have the energy to fight with him too.

I knew he only wanted the best for me. Esme walked away leaving the three of us alone and I walked up behind Edward.

He turned around and looked at me. I saw the worried look on his face.

"I'm okay," I assured him. He inhaled a deep breath then pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist. I looked up at him and he brushed his nose against mine.

"Are you sure? Say the word and she's gone," he said, as if Marie wasn't standing right behind me.

"I'm sure."

"I'm not leaving, so don't ask me to," he said. I smiled up at him.

"I know," I replied. He placed a kiss on my forehead and I turned in his arms so that I was facing Marie now. Edward still held me in his arms, his head resting on top of mine.

"What do you want, Marie?"

"I just wanted to talk," she said eyeing Edward, "Alone," she added looking back at me. Edward's arms tightened around me.

"You heard him, he's not leaving. So whatever you have to say you need to say it now," I replied. She breathed in deeply, running her fingers through her black hair.

"It's really good seeing you."

"Too bad I don't feel the same."

"Bella, I-I made a mistake when I left you all those years ago, I was stupid," she said. Part of me wanted to believe she was sorry, but I refused to give her the pleasure of thinking it would be that easy.

"Why are you here, Marie?"

"I heard about what happened to your father, I came to see how you were doing."

"A year later?" I asked with a raised brow. She couldn't seriously think I would believe that's why she was here. Did she think I was an idiot or something?

I watched her shift as if a child caught in a lie. I was fairly good at reading body language; it was one of the first things my father taught me.

"How have you been?" she asked, and the question made my lip curl because I knew she didn't care.

"I don't want to talk pleasantries with you, Marie. Just tell me why you're here," I snapped. All I wanted to know was her angle. I knew she was here for one reason and it had nothing to do with her wanting to see _me_.

"Would it kill you to call me _mom_, I am still your mother," she snapped back at me.

"You stopped being my mother when you walked out on me! _My_ mother, is Renee Michelle Dwyer Swan."

"She's not your mother," Marie breathed as if her feelings were hurt.

"Like hell she's not!" I yelled, stepping out of Edward's arms. He still held onto one of my arms as if to keep me from hitting Marie. That was probably a good idea.

"_She_ took care of me; _she_ raised me, loved me like I was her own daughter when you left! When I got my period for the first time, _she_ helped me. _She_ taught me how to put on makeup, talked to me about boys. It was her who helped me with school projects, and took me to pick out my prom dress. When I got my first heartbreak, she consoled me like a mother is supposed to do. _She_ _is_ my mother. You…you're nothing to me!" I shouted at her. My nose flared and my breathing was out of control.

I always knew I was angry with her, but my anger spiked at the fact that she tried to say Renee wasn't my mother.

Marie stood there looking at me, she didn't say anything. More than likely she was probably surprised by my outburst.

"You need to leave," Edward said to Marie as he gently pulled me back into his arms. I placed my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. It calmed me.

"Bella, I…"

"What the hell did you do to her?" I heard Esme say from behind us. I turned around to see her, Carlisle and Mrs. Weber standing there.

Each of them looked pissed.

"We were just talking. Christ, can't I speak to my daughter without the damn cavalry showing up," Marie snapped.

"Talking? She was just shouting at you. You need to leave," Mrs. Weber said looking as if she was ready to get rid of Marie on her own.

"Bella, I only came here to try and fix our relationship before it was too late," Marie said causing me to look at her.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm dying," she answered, and that was the last damn thing I thought she was going to say.

"Dying?"

"Yes, I need a kidney and because of my past life choices, I'm not eligible to be added to the donor's list," she explained.

"So you came to see me, your last living relative who could possibly give you a kidney," I said, fully understanding her angle now.

"I'll admit, I was hoping. No one wants to die, but that's not the only reason I'm here. I wanted to have a relationship with you," she replied, almost convincingly.

"Sure, it's the only reason you showed up here. You were hoping to fool me into thinking you actually cared about me. Then you would tell me you were dying in hopes that I would give you a kidney, but guess what Marie? I'm not that little girl you remember, and I wouldn't spit on you if your ass was on fire. Now get the hell off of my property before I call the police," I snapped at her. Her eyes grew in shock and I didn't care.

I didn't bother waiting for her to leave. I pulled myself out of Edward's arms and started walking back inside of the house.

"If she isn't gone in two minutes, call the police," I said walking up the steps.

"Bella," I heard Edward call to me but I shook my head.

"Give me a minute, Edward, please," I said turning to him. He nodded his head and I continued walking up the steps. I went into my bedroom, which right now felt a lot like my parents' bedroom.

Running my fingers through my hair I sat down on the bed willing to give anything to have them both sitting here with me right now.

I opened my nightstand drawer seeing the letters my father had written sitting there. I never opened the others. I saved Sophie's and Nicky's. I wanted to read it to them on Father's Day. I didn't know what to do with my mother's, though.

I picked it up from the drawer and ran my fingers over her name. I smiled knowing she would have talked about my dad's horrible penmanship. She used to tease him all the time about it. Chewing on my lip I decided to opened it.

_Dear Mrs. Swan,_

_Stop laughing I'm trying to be formal here,_

The letter started that made me laugh, just like I knew it would have made her laugh also.

_We both know what it means if you're reading this, and I'm sorry baby. You know the last thing I ever wanted was to leave you and our children. Damn it, I don't even know what to say. I could never tell you how much I love you, I've tried but we both know it only ends up with me stuttering a lot._

I smiled knowing that was always true; Dad was not the most verbally affectionate person. He showed his love in action.

_I can only imagine the pain you're feeling because I know I would be going out of my mind if I lost you._

It read and this was the first time I started to consider if it was a good thing they got to at least go together.

_Don't give up on life, Swan. You're too beautiful to let the world lose you that way. The kids will need you, Bella especially. She'll try to be brave, for you, Sophie and Nicky, but I know she's taking this really hard. I could never thank you enough for coming into our lives, and taking Bella in as your daughter._

_I know she's your daughter, don't start yelling at me._

He continued making me laugh again.

_I only mean that I am the luckiest man in the world to find a woman who loved my daughter as if she was her own. Thank you for helping me raise her, she's a beautiful and amazing young woman thanks to you. Let her help you with the kids, but don't let her lose herself in helping._

_Remind her that she's just as important as they are._

_Try to explain to Sophie and Nicky that I didn't leave them and that if I could, I would give anything in the world to be there with the four of you._

_Fuck, I really hate writing this, but if I am dead then I know that you need this. I love you Renee, more than anything. I don't know what I would have done if I never met you._

_A single dad dressing his daughter in mismatch clothing, and not having no idea how to do her hair, that's for sure._\

_Think she's forgiven me for that, yet?_

_I can't say goodbye to you, so I'll say see you soon. Who knows maybe your universe will let me come and visit you. Again I love you Swan, take care of our children and remind them that I loved each of them more than my next breath._

_Love, Your Charley Bear_

I laughed finishing the letter. I wiped away the tear that had fallen onto my cheek. I folded the letter back up and placed it in the envelope then back into the drawer.

I smiled feeling slightly better. There was a knock on the door and I was sure it was Edward.

"Come in," I said not turning around.

"Are you okay?" I heard Angela ask. I turned around to see her and Lauren entering the room. I smiled at the two of them.

"Edward?" I asked knowing he told them.

"Who else? He looks worried as hell downstairs. Sent us up to check on you," Lauren said coming over and sitting down next to me. Angela sat down on the other side of me and I smiled at the both of them.

"I'm all right," I said exhaling a stressful breath.

"Are you sure, because I could always go find her and give her the way overdue ass kicking she deserves," Angela said and I laughed.

"I'm sure."

"Damn it and I was all ready to kick some ass," Lauren said making me laugh again.

"When are you not ready to kick some ass?" I asked, and she laughed shrugging her shoulders.

"Seriously though, Bella, are you cool? We heard you shouting at her; we had to turn up the music so the kids wouldn't hear," Angela told me. This pissed me off a little bit more. The last thing I wanted was to ruin Sophie and Nicky's birthday party.

"They didn't hear me did they?"

"No, I lied and told them it was some crazy lady with cats shouting in the street," Lauren said making me laugh yet again.

"They are oblivious, trust us, my mom is down there right now giving out ice cream cones," Angela informed me.

"I just can't believe she had the audacity to show up, and then to ask me for a kidney like I owe her something," I said shaking my head. Neither of them said a word, probably neither knowing what to say.

"Would it make me a monster if I let her die?" I asked, looking between the both of them.

"No!" Angela yelled.

"Hell no!" Lauren added.

"This is karma coming back to kick her ass. You have a life of your own, and she has no right to just show up and ask you for something like this. It doesn't make you a monster for rejecting her," Angela told me.

"It makes her a bitch of a monster for thinking she had any right to show up and ask," Lauren said. I inhaled a deep breath knowing they were both right, but it didn't take away the guilt I knew I would feel if she died.

"I just feel like I should…"

"…No, she would never do this for you and you know it. So don't sit here and make yourself feel bad for putting yourself first. She's not asking you for milk or money. She's asking for one of your fucking organs and where I come from, only family gets to ask for one of those, and she's not family," Lauren said.

"Lauren's right, and just so you know, if you needed a kidney I'd give you one," Angela said nudging my shoulder. I smiled trying to decide how I ever ended up with the two of them as my friends.

"Me too, though Angela's organs are probably healthier than mine," Lauren replied making Angela and me laugh.

"If the two of you came up here to make me feel better, thank you, you have succeeded."

"Good. Now can you go downstairs and make your boyfriend feel better," Lauren said, pushing me up from the bed.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him this stressed since that day you ran out of the clinic," Angela declared with a smirk on her face.

"Does he really look that stressed?"

"Yes, he's worried about you, and when you told him to give you a minute, it only made him more anxious," Angela said. I shook my head.

"What am I going to do with him?"

"I know what you could do," Lauren said wiggling her eyebrows. I playfully slapped her arm.

"Do you think about anything other than sex?"

"Sometimes, but sex is full frontal and you my friend, need a good, long fucking and Dr. Hot Pants is just the man to give it to you," Lauren mused, making me roll my eyes.

"I have to agree with her, Bella, sex is a great stress reliever," Angela added.

"I'm ignoring the both of you and I'm going downstairs," I said walking out of the room. They both started laughing as they followed behind. I stopped walking and turned around hugging them both.

"Thank you," I whispered into their ears. They hugged me back then we all went downstairs. I walked into the kitchen to see Edward pacing and pulling at his hair. Esme and Carlisle tried telling him he needed to relax, but it was a mute point.

"I knew I should have gotten rid of her before Bella came to the door," I heard him say. I smiled because he really did worry too much. He stopped pacing when he realized I was standing in the kitchen doorway.

He stared at me as if looking for any sign that I wasn't okay. I watched everyone leave the kitchen, and slowly I walked over to him and ran my fingers through his hair, trying to tame the beast he had released from running his fingers through it. He sighed as my fingers scraped over his scalp.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I just needed a moment alone," I replied with a smile.

"I'm sorry…" he started, but I placed my finger on his lips to stop him.

"You have no reason to apologize, it's not your fault," I reminded him. He cupped my face in his hand.

"I just don't like seeing you hurt or upset."

"I know, but you can't protect me from everything, Edward."

"It doesn't mean I'm not going to try," came his reply. I smiled somehow loving him a little bit more for that.

"How about we forget she ever showed up," I suggested, and he looked at me with questioning stare. "I'm okay, Edward, really," I told him still running my fingers through his hair. He inhaled then exhaled as he looked at me.

"All right, we'll forget she ever arrived, but if you want to talk about it…"

"…you will be the first person I talk to," I said cutting him off. He gave me his sexy smirk and then planted a kiss on my lips. I moaned from the sensation.

When I was little I thought it was complete crap, that a prince's kiss could wake a princess from a sleeping curse, but kissing Edward, it was completely believable that he could wake me with his kiss.

"This better be the Edward I heard so much about or I might have to kick this guy's ass for him," I heard Jonathan say from behind me. I cringed at the thought of him walking in on me kissing Edward. I turned around to see both him and Billy standing there glaring at us.

Billy's wife Rebecca smiled as she approached me.

"I think it was cute," she said giving me a hug. I blushed as I hugged her back. I introduced her to Edward, and I blushed again when she gave me thumbs up.

"What, are we invisible?" Billy asked.

"Billy, you've met Edward," I said trying to downplay that I had to actually introduce them to Edward.

It was like my father was here with them. Yeah, they were definitely his friends.

"Yeah, but when I met him, he wasn't slopping your face Cinderella," Billy said causing Edward to laugh. I elbowed his gut in response.

"Edward, these are my father's best friends, Jonathan, who is also my lawyer and Billy, who was my father's partner on the force," I said introducing him to them.

"Guys, this is Edward. My boyfriend," I said blushing when I said the last part.

"Boyfriend, huh? Has he passed the boyfriend test?" Billy asked, placing the presents he was holding for Sophie and Nicky down on the kitchen table.

"I don't think he has, Bill," Jonathan said placing his presents down on the table. I slapped my hands over my face and started shaking my head.

"Think we should give him the test?" I heard Billy ask.

"No," I yelled at the same time Jonathan said, "Yes," I shook my head again as they slowly walked up to us.

"Should I be worried about this test?" Edward whispered into my ear.

"Yes," I groaned.

"Oh relax, Cinderella, he already passed the third part of the test," Billy said.

"I did?" Edward asked confused.

"Yup, when you protected our Bella from those assholes in the bank that day," Billy explained. I was thankful they were not about to conduct that part of their little test.

"That's important too, but you have to pass the other parts before we can officially say you pass and can call yourself Bella's boyfriend," Jonathan told him.

My father's _boyfriend_ test consisted of three things; first, he would ask the guy a series of questions that had to be answered with the first thing that came to mind. Then he would tell him to repeat the third question. I have no idea why. Next he would then tell the guy to give him ten reasons why they like me and anything pertaining to my body other than my smile, and eyes meant an automatic fail. If they somehow managed to get past those two parts, the last part is where Jonathan or Billy would come in.

My father always called them when I brought a boyfriend home. They would show up and act like our drunken relative and pull out a weapon of some kind, most times it was silly stuff like a broken bottle or the bat my father kept by the front door. They would begin to swing it around near me and if the guy then placed himself in front of me to protect me, he passed.

Only thing is that no guy has ever passed my father's ridiculous _boyfriend_ test. See, he wasn't a two out of three type of guy. You had to pass all three parts for him to even consider you passed his _boyfriend_ test.

"What's your full name?" Billy asked.

"Edward Anthony Cullen," Edward answered obviously confused.

"What college did you go to?" Jonathan asked next.

"NYU and then Harvard Med school," Edward answered again.

"What's Bella's full name?" Billy asked.

"Isabella Marie Swan," Edward replied.

"Bella can be real clumsy sometimes, if she broke her leg what would you do?" Jonathan asked

"Before or after taking her to the hospital?" Edward asked back, causing both Billy and Jonathan to smile at him.

"After, smartass," Jonathan joked with a grin.

"I would take care of her and make sure she stays off her foot. Even though that would be difficult to do since she's so damn stubborn," Edward explained. Jonathan and Billy both laughed while I rolled my eyes.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" Billy asked.

"Professionally or Personally?" Edward asked back again earning smiles from Billy and Jonathan.

"Professionally," Jonathan and Billy said at the same time.

"Owning my own practice," Edward answered.

"How old are you?" Jonathan asked and this question made me chew on my lip. I knew if my father was here this would be a deal breaker.

"Thirty Two," Edward answered, looking as if he was waiting for them to get upset about it.

"Hmm, older than I would prefer for our Cinderella. What are your intentions for Bella?" Billy asked.

"First, to help her gain custody of Sophie and Nicky, then to help her get back to school like she wants, after that I'll help her in any way I can and be around as long as she wants me," Edward replied looking at me when he answered that question.

"That was a good fucking answer," Jonathan said looking as if he was impressed.

"Yeah, it was," Billy agreed.

"You can see yourself sticking around with Bella for the long haul?" Jonathan asked.

"Knowing she's raising Nicky and Sophie," Billy added.

"Of course, I can't picture my life without the three of them now," Edward replied.

"Damn he's good," Billy said and I grinned.

"Damn good," Jonathan said also grinning. "What was the third question we asked you?" Jonathan asked and I knew that was coming. Edward laughed before he answered.

"You asked what Bella's full name was," he replied. Jonathan and Billy both nodded their heads.

"I think he passed that portion," Jonathan said.

"Yeah, but he still has one more test, give us ten reason you like our Cinderella," Billy told him.

"I love Bella's independence; I love Bella's determination; I love Bella's laugh, even when she snorts…" he said with a grin and I blushed.

"I love the way Bella loves with her whole heart; I love that she's not afraid of life; I love that she's honest, caring, patient, silly, and kick ass at playing UNO," he said and I laughed.

"I love that she considers those she loves before she thinks about herself; I love when she chews on her lip when she's nervous; I love that she blushes when she's embarrassed. I love that she has a little obsession with earrings instead of shoes or bags like most women. I love how stubborn she is, even though it drives me completely mad most times," he continued smiling at me.

Despite Billy and Jonathan standing there I went to Edward wrapping my arms around his waist and placed a kiss on his lips.

Fucking hell, I was officially head over fucking heels in love with this man.

And yes, I know I said fucking twice but that's just how serious this was.

Edward lifted his lips from mine smiling at me. He then looked up at Jonathan and Billy.

"Was that ten?" he asked, and both Jonathan and Billy laughed.

"Son, that was way past ten," Billy chortled.

"I think I was falling in love with you for a second," Jonathan joked making all of us laugh.

"Damn, Jon, I thought I'd never see the day someone actually passed this damn test," Billy said shaking his head.

"Yeah, I know. I don't even know what to do when they pass, Charlie never told us that part," Jonathan said.

"I guess we welcome him to the family and remind him if he hurts her, we'll bury him in the middle of a desert," Billy retorted, and that was just what they did. Shaking Edward's hand they welcome him to the family and thanked him for putting a smile back on my face. It was weird, as much as I hated that they went through with my father's ridiculous test, it made me feel like I had gotten my father's approval.

Together the four of us walked out into the backyard.

"He passed!" Jonathan and Billy both yelled and those who knew what that meant started cheering making me blush and hide my face in Edward's chest.

We continued on with the kid's party. I refused to let Marie's appearance ruin this. The party magician arrived and I swear it seemed Edward, Jasper, Lauren and Emmett enjoyed him more than the kids.

"How old are they again?" Angela asked, walking up next me as I stood there watching them.

"You wouldn't know three of them were in their damn thirties that's for sure," I replied causing her to laugh. She nudged my shoulder and I looked over at her.

"So he passed the impossible Charlie Swan boyfriend test?" she asked and I smiled, feeling my blush cover my cheeks.

"By some miracle yes," I chuckled.

"I'm not surprised honestly, he would walk over hot coals for you, Bella," Angela responded. I smiled over at Edward as he was encouraging EJ and Nicholas to volunteer for the magician.

I wished more than anything that Lauren and Angela got to know how this felt. This feeling of love for someone you never saw coming.

"What happened with you and Ben, last night?" I asked turning to her now. She started chewing on her lip and wouldn't give me eye contact.

"Did you sleep with him last night?" I asked her. She gave this look that said _sort of._

"Talk Angela," I said turning her to look at me.

"Okay, okay. After the three of you left last night, we all stayed, you know. Everything was going great until Jessica showed up."

"Jessica, the Jessica that used to work for Edward?" I asked confused now.

"Yes, apparently she and Ben have been dating these last few weeks and he _forgot_ to tell me," Angela said making the quotation sign with her fingers when she said forgot.

"He has a girlfriend?"

"Not according to him. According to him they are not exclusive and he can see whoever he wants. He said he liked us both and couldn't decide so he wanted to explore his options," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

"What did you do Ang?"

"I grabbed the first guy that walked past me and kissed him right there in front of Ben, then I asked him if he was okay with me considering other options too," she told me and we both started laughing.

"Lauren was like my only personal cheerleader after that," Angela continued.

"Who did you kiss?" I asked.

"Edward's friend Seth, and let me just say, he is like a seriously good kisser," she giggled and I saw my best friend blush.

"Did you sleep with him, Angela?"

"We didn't do much sleeping."

"Oh My God!" I yelled getting the attention of every person in the yard. I snapped my mouth shut while Angela laughed.

"You told her?" I heard Lauren ask as she approached us with a smile on her face.

"You knew?" I asked looking at her.

"Hell yeah, who do you think called the taxi for them? After that little stunt Ben pulled, he's lucky I didn't crush his balls," Lauren said making me laugh.

"The two of you are outrageous," I said as they laughed. After the magician left it was time for some cake and ice cream.

There were three cakes, one for Sophie and Nicky to share with each other and then one just for Sophie and one just for Nicky. Alice, Esme and I walked over to the cake table so that we could reveal the cakes at the same time.

I wanted them covered so that Sophie and Nicky would be surprised when they saw them.

Edward brought them over to the table and their eyes grew large as they looked at the three cake trays before them.

"We have three cakes?" Nicholas asked looking like he was about to explode from excitement.

"Something like that, Happy Birthday munchkins!" I yelled as Alice, Esme and I revealed their cakes.

"Wow!"

"Cool!" they both yelled. Their cake together was a Spider Man and Disney Fairy cake. The bakery had successfully fit both on one little cake. Sophie's cake had Tinkerbell and her name on it while Nicky's cake had a spider web, and spiders to compliment the Spider Man on their joined cake.

Mrs. Weber brought over the candles and we placed them into the cake. Once they were lit we all sang Happy Birthday to them as loud as we could. The smiles on their faces made me feel like I had done great.

When I looked up at Edward he was already watching me, not that it really surprised me anymore. I was starting to notice he did that a lot.

After they blew out their candles we cut their cake and then passed it around to everyone at the party.

"You did wonderful, your mom would be so proud of you," Mrs. Weber said coming over to me and giving me a hug. I knew she was talking about more than just the party and it was just what I needed to hear. I hugged her back tightly.

"Thank you," I whispered into her ear. She and Esme took over serving everyone their cake and I headed back into the kitchen for more ice cream.

"Need some help?" I heard Jake ask as he came into the kitchen. I smiled seeing Leah walking behind him.

"Yeah, could you grab those bowls over there," I said pointing to the bowls on the table. He nodded his head and walked over grabbing them.

"You know we thought highly of your parents, Bella. They helped me and Leah when we were having trouble. We consider you and the kids like our siblings and we just want what's best for the three of you," he said. I smiled at him.

"Thanks, Jake."

"Edward's a good guy, but just so you know if he hurts you, I'll kick his ass," Jake said making me laugh as he exited the kitchen with the bowls. Leah came over to me helping me grab the rest of the ice cream containers.

"I don't want to open old wounds, but Bella I swear to you the moment I thought something was wrong I called the police and ran over here as fast as I could that night," Leah said. I nodded my head.

"I know, thank you," I said with a bittersweet smile on my face. "I didn't blame you; I was angry and needed someone to yell at. I'm sorry," I told her. She shook her head at me.

"I understand, believe me. It was so hard when you told me to stay away from the three of you. I missed having you over and cooking for Sophie and Nicky. So I just kept sending Jake over since it didn't appear you were angry with him," she said with a smile. I laughed knowing that was true because Jake came over to check on us regularly especially the first few months.

"Thank you for that too," I said. She winked at me and we got the ice cream together and went out into the yard. She helped me get the ice cream out to the kids and I hadn't realized I had invited so many kids until everything was practically gone.

"Cake?" Edward asked standing behind me. I turned around to see him holding his fork up to my mouth. Smiling I took the cake into my mouth and moaned out how sweet and moist it was. His eyes seemed to darken some as he watched me chew the cake.

"Thank you," I said licking my lips after I finished chewing.

"You're welcome, have you even eaten anything since breakfast?" he asked and I shook my head. I was so busy with the kids, I didn't stop to eat.

"Sit down," he told me.

"Edward I have to…"

"Sit woman," he enforced, and I'll admit it was kind of hot. I sat down and he walked away to get me something to eat, I was sure. I watched Sophie and Nicky running around the yard laughing and playing and I smiled.

I was doing this, raising them for my parents.

I could do this, because my parents raised me.

And my new family was going to help, and I was okay with that.

"Here, open," Edward said returning and holding a forkful of potato salad. I smiled and opened my mouth allowing him to feed me. It was somehow so sexually sensual even though we were in the backyard with almost fifty or more people.

Even with Marie arriving and testing my willpower not to just punch her, I was over the moon feeling the approval from my parents even if they weren't here physically; I knew they were in spirit.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	18. Family Life

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Family Life_**

**_Chapter 18_**

I was a soccer mom.

Okay, I was a soccer sister, but you get my point.

Today was Nicholas' first soccer game and I'd already been running around like a moron trying to make sure I had the snacks for him and his teammates. I almost missed paying the little league fee.

Soccer equipment is expensive – I just want to say that.

"Excuse me, are you even listening to me," a woman said waving her hand in my face. I inhaled a deep breath as I looked at her.

"I'm really sorry, what was your order?" I asked, trying to remember that I was technically still at work. The woman blew out an irritated breath and repeated her order for me.

"Is Mrs. Newton really thinking about adding a kitchen?" Lauren asked, as she came behind the counter. I nodded my head as I finished making the coffee for the customer.

"Yeah, she said with more customers eating in, she wants to transform the place to a little deli café, and offer them more than bagels, cakes and donuts," I explained as I handed the customer her coffee.

"So, what does this mean for us?"

"Nothing really I guess, just that we'll probably have to hire another waitress," I explained, leaning against the counter.

"And here I thought she was going to sell this place," Lauren said. I had thought the same thing, but apparently Mrs. Newton had other plans, plans that involved molding me into the new owner, potentially.

Nothing was set in stone because I hadn't actually given her an official answer to her offer. She said because I was so young she would stay on as a silent partner but overall she was ready to retire and pass her little place on to someone she could trust with it.

But I continued asking myself the same question, did I want to run a little café? I guess it would be great to have my own business at such a young age, but could I really handle putting something else on my plate.

"At least she's not making Mike our boss," I said wrinkling up my nose and Lauren laughed agreeing with me. Ever since Mrs. Newton took away the little power he had, Mike walked around pouting.

I was surprised he was still even working here, but he claimed he didn't have anywhere else to go because no one wanted to hire him. I could believe that, because if I could actually fire him I would have.

"Speak of the devil," Lauren said, nodding her head towards the front door. I turned around seeing Mike come into the shop. He looked like he had been dragged through hell then spit out.

"What the hell happened to you?" I asked as he walked past us towards the bathrooms.

"I don't want to talk about it," he shouted, walking up the hallway. Lauren and I looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.

The lunch rush started to come in and Lauren and I got back to work. Some days I hated my job, but I enjoyed seeing the familiar faces of people and talking to them.

I did enjoy the feeling that this was sort of mine because I worked hard.

Mike didn't come back for another forty-five minutes. Thankfully, when he did come back out, he looked like he cleaned up in the bathroom. He didn't say anything to us as he started cleaning off the tables and then sweeping the floor.

"I think Mike's been abducted by aliens," Lauren whispered in my ear. I agreed as I watched Mike work. Never had he come in and started working without giving me shit first.

"Go ask him what's wrong," I said nudging her.

"What? No, you go ask him," she said nudging me back. Mike stopped sweeping then and looked over at the two of us.

"What?"

"Nothing," Lauren and I answered at the same time. Mike looked at us then finished cleaning up.

"Yeah, he was seriously abducted," I said making Lauren laugh,

"I hope they keep the old one and we get to keep the new one," she replied, as we both giggled and finished working. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out smiling when I saw I had a text message from Edward.

**_Sorry I can't meet you for lunch, Kitty. Dr. Cooper is out today so I have his patients and mine ~E_**

I was disappointed. Not with him, but just that I wouldn't get to have lunch with him today. Pouting, I texted my reply.

**_It's okay, do you think you're going to make Nicky's game? ~B_**

**_Of course, I'm not missing that for the world. I might be a little late, but tell him I'll be there. ~E_**

**_Okay, ily ~B_**

**_ily more ~E_**

He replied. I placed my phone back in my smock and continued to work straight through my lunch break. There was no point in taking one since I wouldn't get to spend it with whom I wanted.

I worked up until closing and then left to pick Sophie and Nicky up from summer camp. Lauren told me that she would see us at Nicky's game and that she would be his cheerleader. I laughed knowing Nicky would be completely embarrassed.

I arrived at the day camp and saw the kids sitting with some woman on the front bench. I parked the car and climbed out as I kept my eyes on the woman. I'd never seen her before which instantly made me uncomfortable that she was sitting with Sophie and Nicky.

"You two ready to go?" I called out getting their attention. They both smiled at me and started to walk toward me as I rounded the car to the pavement. I saw the woman get up also as she started walking towards me.

"Ms. Swan?" she asked. Pulling Sophie and Nicky to my side I nodded my head.

"Yes, who are you?" I asked.

"Margaret Cope, the head counselor here," she said, holding out her hand to shake mine. I shook it but still wanted to know why she was sitting with the kids.

"Is everything all right?" I asked, looking down at Sophie and Nicky.

"Um yes. I actually just wanted to talk to you about their care," she said, whispering _care _as if it was a curse word.

"You guys get in the car," I said unlocking the doors. They both walked away and climbed into the car. I turned my attention back to Ms. Cope.

"What about their care?" I asked, more irritation in my voice then I meant to let slip.

"I was told that you're their primary caregiver," she said. I rolled my eyes, running my fingers through my hair.

"Yes, is that so hard to believe?"

"Um, well a little- yes, I mean, you're too young to be their mother and when they were asked about their parents, they said they didn't want to talk about it. If something is going on at home I would love to help and…"

"…Our parents are dead, Ms. Cope. That's why they didn't want to talk about it. I might be young, but, yes I am raising them, no one else, just me," I said cutting her off. I didn't tell anyone at the camp about our parents because Sophie and Nicky said they were tired of people treating them differently when they found out our parents were dead.

I could understand that because I hated the pitiful look in people's eyes when they found out. Much like the one Ms. Cope was giving me now.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know I…"

"…I know you didn't know because I didn't tell the camp. Sophie and Nicky already get treated differently by some of the kids in school because of this and I didn't want the same to happen while they were in camp," I explained.

"So you just pretend it didn't happen; that isn't good for them."

"We do not pretend. We have a constant reminder every day at home that our parents are dead and I don't think Sophie and Nicky should have to deal with it here, too," I snapped. She looked like she was offended by my tone, but I wasn't about to apologize.

"So you told them not to talk about it?"

"I didn't tell them anything, I let them decide. I just didn't tell the camp about our parents passing. I don't see why you would need to know anyway. Have Sophia or Nicholas caused any trouble or disturbance?"

"No, they're delightful children. Who would put you in this position, forced to raise your younger siblings when you are just growing up yourself? This has to be a huge responsibility on you, especially being so young," she said, with that judgmental look in her eyes. I found it amazing older people complained about people my age not being mature and taking responsibility for their lives, but the moment they find out that I am, they want to remind me that I'm too _young_.

"It would be a huge responsibility on anyone, only difference is I wasn't _forced_ to take them. I choose to and would make the same choice again in a heartbeat. Are we done here?"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, that's never anyone's intention, is it?" I replied. She didn't say anything. I began walking to the car.

"Ms. Swan?" she called to me just as I reached the driver side door. I turned around to look at her. "I really meant no harm, I'm sorry," she said. I nodded my head opening the car door and climbing into the car.

"Ella, did we do something wrong?" Sophie asked as I pulled my seatbelt on.

"No, Soph you guys didn't do anything wrong," I answered looking back at her. She seemed to relax from my words.

"They kept asking us about mommy and daddy and we kept telling them we didn't want to talk about it," Nicholas told me.

"And you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Good, because it makes us sad, and I don't want to be sad anymore," Sophie said looking out of her window.

"Me either," Nicholas said. I smiled at them as I started the car. I didn't think it would be a big deal that I didn't tell the camp about our parents. I mean, whenever I put Sophie and Nicky into a program or school, did I really have to write _they are orphans_.

Inhaling a deep breath I pulled off and headed for home so that Nicky could change for his game. They were silent in the car and it made me upset that their moods had been soiled. Over the past few months they've smiled more, laughed more and it made me happy.

I remember the first time we laughed after our parents died, we cried because it felt wrong. They were so young and had to deal with so much I just wanted them to be kids again.

I didn't want them to have to deal with the constant reminder people gave them that our parents were gone. I especially didn't want their nightmares to return.

"Hey, I was thinking we could go rolling skating after your game, Nicky. What do you guys think?" I asked, hoping that would change their mood.

"Oh yeah!" they started to shout with smiles on their faces. I smiled feeling successful.

"Is Edward going to go too?" Nicholas asked. I smiled as I turned the corner. I swear we didn't do anything anymore without Edward having to come too. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but it was so different.

"You know I'm starting to think you two like Edward more than me," I teased with a smirk.

"No we don't, he's just cooler," Nicholas said making me laugh out loud.

"Yeah, we like Edward. He's funny, and he makes us laugh. Plus he really makes you happy," Sophie added.

"Yeah, and you make us happy and we think someone should make you happy," Nicholas replied and once again they were starting to sound much older than their seven years.

"You guys make me happy," I said looking back at them when I stopped at a light.

"Yeah, but Edward makes you a different kind of happy," Sophie said, kicking her feet against the passenger seat.

"Why are you guys so smart?"

"Because we're Swan's," Nicholas answered, as if that was the only logical answer. I smiled as I pulled off when the light turned green. The car was quiet again, the music from the radio playing softly.

"Bella," Nicky called.

"Yeah."

"Are you and Edward going to get married?" he asked, and I almost crashed the fucking car.

"What? No. I mean I don't know…" I answered trying to pull myself together. Christ, where the hell did they get these questions from?

"I think you should," Nicholas replied.

"Oh, can I be the flower girl?" Sophie asked in excitement. I shook my head trying to get control of this conversation.

"No one is getting married," I said.

"Uh huh, Alice is in August," Sophie said in a sing-song voice. She loved being right and it was rear when she was right and I was wrong.

"I'm not getting married, at least not any time soon, all right?"

"Aw poo," Sophie said, folding her arms over her chest as she fell back against her seat. I seriously needed a drink now. We finally arrived at home and Sophie and Nicky jumped out of the car.

"Bella," I heard someone call to me as I climbed out. I turned around and grew pissed when I saw Marie. I slammed the car door shut as she approached me.

"What Marie?" I asked, and I saw her wince from me calling her by her first name.

"I just came to talk. You know without all your bodyguards around protecting you from me like I'm some big bad wolf," she said with a smile.

"Who said they were protecting me? Maybe they were protecting you, to assure I didn't slap you for showing up here the other day," I snapped at her. Sophie and Nicky walked over standing beside me.

"Who are you?" Sophie asked and I could tell she noticed the resemblance between Marie and I.

"I'm Bella's mom," she answered and I flinched, feeling like I was just verbally cut.

"No you're not, our mom is dead," Nicholas corrected her. Sophie and Nicholas had no idea that Renee wasn't my real mother. My parents never felt a reason to explain something like that to them. I was their sister and that was all that mattered.

"That woman is not…"

"…Marie, you need to leave now." I said cutting her off and pushing Sophie and Nicholas behind me.

"Can we please talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you," I replied.

"Then can you listen, hear me out?"

"No, now leave. If you come back here I will call the police next time," I informed her as I turned to walk towards the house.

"Your father really brainwashed you against me, didn't he?" she asked. Quickly, I turned around facing her.

"My father never said a bad fucking word about you to me. Even though you didn't deserve it, he still showed you some respect. My choice not to talk to you is mine and mine alone," I snapped at her.

"Bella, is everything okay?" I heard Leah ask from her yard. I turned to see her getting out of her car. I hadn't even noticed she pulled up.

"Yes, she was just leaving," I said glaring at Marie when I said that.

"I want to fix this."

"We'll I don't. So do us both a favor and stop trying," I replied then turned around to let Sophie and Nicholas into the house. I watched Marie walk back to her car as I stood on the front step.

"You sure you're okay?" Leah asked walking over to me.

"Yeah, if you see her out here again, can you call the police?"

"Of course," Leah answered. I thanked her then went inside of the house. Nicholas got everything he needed for his game and we left the house. They didn't ask about Marie and I didn't bring her up. I didn't know how to explain it to them. I didn't want to.

When we arrived at the soccer field, most of the other kids and families were already there.

"Bella, is Ms. Esme and Mr. Carlisle coming?" Nicholas asked getting out of the car. He and Sophie had gotten extremely attached to them, and part of me thought it was because for the first time they felt like they had grandparents.

"They said they would be here, Alice and Jasper, too," I told him before he asked. After the birthday party Jasper most have grown on Nicky. He still had a crush on Alice, but somehow he and Jasper came to some _man_ agreement Alice and I were not allowed to know about.

"Nicky, you have to get all the points."

"I have to play with my team, Sophie," Nicholas said with a laugh. Sophie was like me, sports were an entirely different language.

"Whatever, I'm only cheering for you," she said shrugging her shoulders. We walked across the field until we saw Nicholas' coach Embry.

"Nicky!" some of the kids yelled. Embry looked up and smiled at us.

"Hey, Bella," he said shaking my hand.

"Hey, Embry," I replied with a smile.

"Nicky, you ready to play?" Embry asked. Nicholas nodded his head.

"Okay, go out there and warm up," Embry told him. Nicholas put his stuff down on the bench. I watched him take a quick puff from his inhaler and then he ran out onto the soccer field.

"How has he been doing with his breathing?" I asked watching Nicholas.

"Great. Edward coaches him a lot when he's here with him," Embry said, and I nodded my head with a smile on my face.

Sophie and I went to find somewhere for us to sit so when everyone arrived, we could all sit together. Everyone we knew started to show up for Nicholas and I smiled at how our little family seemed to grow. Before it would have really only been a few of us here cheering for Nicky. But, Edward and the Cullen family seemed to change all of that.

"The game hasn't started yet, has it?" Esme asked, sitting down and pulling out her camera. I smiled at her.

"No, they're just warming up," I answered. Sophie gave both Esme and Carlisle a hug and sat between the two of them as they tried showing her how the camera worked.

"I made pom poms!" Alice yelled as she and Jasper walked up.

"Oh yay!" Lauren yelled and I laughed. Alice passed Lauren and Angela pom poms and I just knew they were going to embarrass the hell out of Nicky now.  
I was surprised when I saw Emmett, Amelia and EJ coming across the field. I knew they were still in town, mainly because Emmett refused to take them back to L.A. It wasn't like Rosalie had called to talk them since they've been here.

"The kids wanted to come see his game," Emmett said as he approached me.

"Oh, you know you wanted to see it, too, don't try using the kids as an excuse," Lauren teased and Emmett grinned. I knew he felt like he couldn't come around us because he and Edward weren't exactly _okay_, yet.

They were getting there, slowly, but they were getting there. The kids spent a lot of time together though; you couldn't keep the four of them apart.

"Where's Edward?" Angela asked, as she moved over for Emmett and the kids to sit down.

"He had to take Dr. Cooper's patients today, so he's going to be a little late," I explained. A whistle was blown and I knew that meant they were about to start.

"Go Nicky!" Alice, Angela and Lauren all yelled shaking their pom poms in the air. Everyone started looking over in our direction.

"We're not with them!" Jasper yelled out to the crowd, and we all laughed. I ran over to where Nicky was to show him where we were sitting. He waved over at everyone then looked back at me, concern on his face.

"Where's Edward?"

"He's running just a little late, but he said he wouldn't miss this for the world," I answered. He looked a little sad. "He'll be here, Nick, you know that," I said. Nicholas nodded his head.

"I know."

"Okay, now you go out there and have fun. Win or lose you're my MVP got it?" I said and he laughed rolling his eyes at me.

"Yeah, I got it," he replied smiling at me. We did his breathing exercise which he normally did with Edward then he ran over to Embry to be with the rest of his teammates. I walked back to sit with everyone else.

"Is he nervous?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah, he's worried Edward isn't going to show up," I said checking my phone to see if Edward texted me at all.

"There is no way Edward is going to miss this," Emmett said. I smiled over at him nodding my head. I knew Edward didn't want to miss it, but this was sort of out of his control.

The game started and we cheered Nicky on, Alice, Angela and Lauren came up with some chant for his team and had half the crowd saying it with them.

My cell phone rang and I saw that it was Edward. I got up and walked away from the noise, but keeping my eye on Nicky.

"Hey, baby, are you on your way?" I asked.

"Yeah, just walked out of the office, did the game start already?" he asked. I could tell that he must have been speed walking to his car.

"Yeah, it started."

"How's our boy, is he nervous? Did he do his breathing exercise?" Edward asked. I was still stuck on him calling Nicky _our boy_. I honestly think I was getting ready to cry.

"Baby, you still there?" Edward asked obviously trying to figure out why I didn't answer him. That only made me want to cry more because it meant he said it without even realizing he had.

"He's nervous, and looking for you. We did his exercise though, he's good," I finally answered.

"Good, I'll be there in ten minutes," he said, and there was no way for him to get here in ten minutes unless he drove like a madman.

"Edward, be careful, please," I said knowing I couldn't talk him out of driving like a maniac.

"I will. I love you."

"I love you, too," I said before hanging up. I walked back over to sit down and let everyone know that Edward was on his way. Nicky got the ball and we all started screaming for him and when one of the other kids kicked it away from him Sophie was pissed.

"Give my brother the ball back you butthead!" she shouted, standing up and making all of us laugh.

"Soph, that's how they play the game," Carlisle tried to explain to her, but she wasn't having it. We continued watching the game and like Edward promised, he showed up ten minutes later. I watched as he came up on the other side of the field. He waited there until a timeout was called.

Nicholas ran over to him, a smile plastered on his face. I watched the exchange between them and it made me smile. Edward must have asked where we were because Nicky pointed in our direction.

Edward said something to him then Nicky went back out to play. I watched as Edward walked over to us. That perfect walk, perfect smile…the man was simply perfect.

Yes, I know impossible.

He leaned down placing a kiss on my lips before he greeted everyone else, yes that made me all happy inside.

"Edward, you're late," Sophie said, when he placed a kiss on the top of her head. He laughed sitting down next to me.

"I know, Soph, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you're here now," she said watching the game closely. We all laughed as we watched the game also.

"How was work?" Edward whispered as we watched Nicky.

"It was good, Mike freaked Lauren and me out today."

"What did he do?" Edward asked looking like he was ready to punch Mike if we said he did something wrong.

"Relax, Edward. I just meant he came in and worked today without me having to tell him to," I said and Edward relaxed.

"That wasn't the most eventful part of my day though," I said. He looked at me with a brow raised. I started first telling him about Ms. Cope.

He took my hand into his, "Don't let that bother you, baby. You're doing a great job with them, anyone could see that," he remarked. I nodded my head.

"It's just so damn annoying."

"I know, but you are an amazing woman doing an extraordinary thing for your brother and sister. Some people just don't know how to deal with being in the presence of a saint like you, and they say stupid shit out of their mouths," he replied making me laugh.

"I am no saint."

"Hmm, true. I know that better than anyone," he whispered teasingly, playfully I slapped his thigh. "Don't worry about her, I'm sure she felt stupid for even saying something to you," he tried assuring me. Then I told him about Marie showing back up. He looked pissed now. I watched as he inhaled a deep breath.

"Are you all right?" he asked. I nodded my head still watching the kids play.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. He turned my face to him. Looking me in my eyes as if to see if he would catch my lie there and he did. He cupped my face and placed a kiss on my lips as if he knew that was just what I needed. He broke our kiss and looked down into my face.

"I'm here when you're ready to talk about it," he said. I nodded my head. One of the things I loved about Edward was that he didn't press me. He waited until I was ready to talk. I placed my head on his shoulder as we both turned back to the game.

Nicholas got a hold of the ball again and we all cheered him on, and then jumped out of our seats when he made his first goal. Alice, Angela and Lauren started their chant again along with the crowd.

I think throughout the entire game we were the loudest group in attendance. The game ended with Nicky's team winning by one point. We waited for him to finish shaking the other team's hands then cheered him on some more as he ran over to us.

"You were so awesome, Nicky," I said giving him a hug. Everyone congratulated him one by one. The smile I saw on his face was one I hadn't seen in a long time. He looked so much like our dad it was spooky.

"Hey, why don't you go invite your team to meet us at Southgate," I said.

"We're going roller skating?" Edward asked, and I remembered that I didn't tell him. Nicky ran off to tell everyone else, I turned around to look at Edward.

"Yeah, they were a little upset about our parents so I said I would take them roller skating. I know you're exhausted from work, you don't have to go," I said really wanting him to go, but knew he was probably too tired to be around a bunch of screaming kids.

"Of course I'm going, you just have to tuck me in tonight," he said lowering his head to mine and placing a kiss on my lips.

"I look forward to it," I mumbled against his lips. We left to go to the roller rink, Emmett, the kids and Lauren agreeing to meet us there. Angela said she had somewhere to be, but didn't want to tell Lauren and me where that somewhere might be.

I offered Lauren to ride with me since I knew she came here with Angela, but she said she would ride with Emmett.

Yeah, I found that weird, too.

Edward followed my car and we stopped by my house to drop off his car so he could ride with us.

"Edward, are you going to stay the night at our house again?" Sophie asked from the back seat, as Edward climbed into the passenger seat.

"I don't know Soph, I think your sister is getting sick of me," Edward teased cutting his eyes at me. I rolled my eyes at him pulling off.

"Then you can sleep in my room," Nicholas offered.

"That sounds like a great offer, but I'm pretty sure I won't fit in your bed Nicky, and I'm too old to sleep on the floor," he joked making the both of them laugh.

"I guess I could share my bed, _again_. But no hogging all the covers this time," I joked back. I honestly couldn't remember the last time Edward actually slept at his house, without me that is.

We've slept in the same bed almost every night, and when we didn't, I had the most horrible night's sleep.

"Yay, I like when Edward spends the night, he tells the best bedtime stories," Sophie said with a smile on her face.

Yeah Edward had definitely and successfully won the hearts of Sophie and Nicky. We arrived at the skating rink a little while after everyone else. I found us a table while Edward got our skates.

Edward came over with our skates. It wasn't until he gave everyone their skates I realized he must have remembered our sizes because I didn't remind him.

"You remembered our sizes?" I asked when he sat down next to me to put on his skates. He grinned at me.

"Of course, I did buy Sophie and Nicky sneakers for their birthday…" he reminded me, and then he leaned into me so only I heard what he said next. "…and believe me I know and remember every measurement of every part of your body, Kitty," he finished making me blush.

We all put on our skates and Edward placed our shoes in a locker. Holding hands the four of us went out onto the skating floor. Sophie took off first when she saw Emmett and Amelia. I seriously think Sophie was just trying to make Amelia a mini version of her.

"Edward, you have to hold Bella's hand. She can't skate," Nicholas said skating next us.

"I can so skate," I yelled and wouldn't you know it, I bust my ass right after the words left my lips. Nicholas laughed his little heart out while Edward looked like he was having a hard time trying not to laugh.

"Oh both of you shut it and help me up," I said. Edward pulled me up from the floor and Nicholas tried to quickly skate away from me.

"I wouldn't mind holding you if you asked nicely," Edward teased with that damn grin on his face.

"Screw you," I replied playfully pushing him away. He skated behind me wrapping his arms around my waist and placing his lips against my ear.

"Oh, we'll get there, Kitty," he whispered giving me goose bumps.

"Uncle Eddie come skate with us!" Amelia yelled.

"I'm being summoned, think you can remain off your sexy ass without me?" he teased, and I elbowed his gut. He laughed, placing a kiss on my neck and then skating over to Amelia and Sophie.

"Hey!" someone yelled in my ear while tickling my sides. It scared me so bad I almost fell but caught myself. I turned around seeing it was only Lauren's silly ass.

"Don't do that shit, you scared the hell out of me," I said. She started laughing skating next to me.

"Can I tell you something without you getting all negative?" she asked. I looked over at her as if she was crazy.

"I don't get negative."

"You do when it's any of us trying to say something positive about you or for you," Lauren said. I inhaled a deep breath knowing she was right.

"Okay, I won't get negative."

"Good, because I think that you, Edward, Soph and Nicky make the cutest family. Ang, Alice and me were talking about it at the soccer game," Lauren said. I looked over at her and she smiled at me.

"I'm happy for you, Bella, we all are. Just don't try to run away because you're scared. I'm seriously confident Edward will chase you and a man like that is worth holding and locking in your basement," she continued and I laughed.

"Believe me I couldn't run if I wanted to, which I don't. We're like magnets; even if I tried the forces would only pull me back to him. He's where I belong," I replied, admitting that out loud for the first time.

"The _force_, you sound like someone out of a Star Wars movie, but I get what you mean," she replied with a laugh. We continued skating and I watched as Edward played with Sophie and Nicky.

He carried the two of them on his back while he skated, and I laughed when they all fell to the floor. Edward moved so fast to assure he cushioned their fall. He was so attentive with them. I could never doubt that he loved them just as much as they had fallen in love with him.

After skating, we headed home and again, I offered Lauren a ride and she said that Emmett was going to take her home. Yeah, something was definitely going on there; at least I was starting to think so.

When we arrived home I went straight to the kitchen to get started on dinner. I decided on spaghetti since it was fairly easy to make.

"Need some help?" Edward asked coming into the kitchen. I smiled at him as he went around the kitchen island.

"You could cut up the peppers for me," I said. He nodded his head and began cutting up all the fresh vegetables I was putting into the sauce.

Sophie and Nicky came in to help also, and I smiled as we all stood in the kitchen cooking together. We joked and talked about our day and it was the most normal and natural feeling.

We did this a lot when my parents were alive; my mom thought it was a good way to keep the family united.

I could see why.

"Ella, we had to draw a picture of our family at camp today," Sophie told me as she set the table for us to eat.

"When do I get to see it?" I asked her as I cooked the meat in the frying pan.

"I don't know. I drew you, me, Nicky and Edward, though," she said and I turned around and looked at her. I saw that Edward stopped what he was doing, too. I wasn't even sure what to say to her.

"Ms. Maggie saw it and asked if it was my mom and dad. I told her no, that it was you and Edward. She asked about mommy and daddy and I said I didn't want to talk about them," she continued with her story, and now I understood how the topic of our parents came up while they were at camp.

"I drew Edward, and Ms. Esme and Mr. Carlisle, too," Nicky said with a smile on his face. I saw the grin on Edward's face. It was official they considered the Cullen's family.

We had dinner and then the four of us watched Happy Feet 2 together while gorging on ice cream. Edward and Sophie seemed to have eaten the most.

Edward laughed next to me when Sophie and I started singing along with the movie. I secretly loved the movie. I mean come on singing penguins, who wouldn't love this?

I sat snuggled up under Edward while Sophie laid in the love seat and Nicky sat in the arm chair.

_I could spend the rest of my life like this. _I thought.

"Me, too," Edward said, I looked up at him and he smiled at me. "You said it out loud," he told me with a grin. I blushed but I wasn't going to take back what I said.

It was true.

"Do you know what the best part would be about spending the rest of my life this way?" he whispered against my lips. I shook my head at him.

"Spending the family life with you and them, you're everything to me, Bella," he told me. I leaned in needing to kiss him. I tried to remember that Sophie and Nicky were in the living room with us but the kiss wasn't precisely a peck on the lips. Edward's lips were like a shot of some addictive drug shooting straight into my veins.

I was instantly craving more of him.

"Ella, my stomach hurt…" Sophie said and then suddenly it was followed by her throwing up.

Like that Edward and my moment was put on hold as we tended to Sophie and her upset stomach.

This was most certainly the family life, and I never realized until now how much I wanted it.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	19. First o Many

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_First of Many_**

**_Chapter 19_**

Looking into the mirror, I finished putting on my eye shadow. I looked at my face, happy with my makeup choice. It wasn't too much, but complimented my eyes perfectly. Today Edward and I would be going on our _first_ official date.

It wasn't really our _first_ date since we've been out together many times before, but it felt different.

"You should wear your hair up?" Angela said standing behind me and looking at my reflection in the mirror.

"No, down, he likes it when it's down," Lauren added obviously remembering when I said that.

"Yeah but she can show off her neck if it's up. He won't be able to keep his hands off of her," Angela replied with a smile.

"As if he can any other time," Lauren retorted causing me to blush from the truth of her words.

"True, but if she wears it up it will surprise him," Angela added.

"True," Lauren agreed pulling my hair up.

Why in the world had I asked them to help me get ready for this date?  
I was nervous, and I was discovering that was a common emotion when it came to anything I did with Edward. It was never because I didn't trust him, but because I worried that it would be the day he realized he could do better than me.

Lauren brushed my hair back, the loose pin curls falling around my face. She pulled it up twisting and pinning my hair.

"There, how is that, some hair up, some down," Lauren asked. I nodded my head with a smile on my face.

"I like it," I said turning my head to try and see the back of it.

"Good, stand up so we can see you," Angela said. I smiled getting up from the stool and turning to the both of them. I was wearing a blue and white striped, mini summer dress. The top fit tight around my breast, while the skirt was loose and flowing above my knees. To accessorize I wore a light brown belt to match the brown purse, and wedged shoes I would be wearing.

Also, I wore a gold bracelet and a pair of gold hoop earrings I saw at a store a few days ago. I saved wearing them specifically for tonight. Angela and Lauren were just staring at me like two idiots.

"Well, how do I look?" I asked starting to worry something was wrong.

"You're going to need condoms," Lauren blurted out randomly.

"Definitely, at least five," Angela agreed.

"Why the hell would I need condoms?"

"Because you look super-hot and Edward is probably going to try and jump your bones tonight," Lauren said, as if I should have known the answer. I stood there speechless for a few seconds from her words.

"I- we…we don't need condoms if that happens," I mumbled under my breath. I'd been on the depo shot since I was sixteen and never missed a visit.

Most women complained about it causing weight gain. When I first started taking it, it caused me to gain a little weight, but I've always liked the weight on me. It seemed to fill out my curves perfectly, it wasn't too much and I didn't look like a toothpick. My mom always taught me to be comfortable in my own skin and I was without a doubt.

The doorbell rang and I suddenly felt even more nervous. With the possibility of what Lauren said playing in my thoughts.

"Relax, Bella. It's just Edward," Angela said, and I wanted to tell her that's what had me so damn nervous. He was perfect. Okay, I knew it was impossible for anyone to be perfect but he was as close to perfect you could find in a human being and I was just me.

"Ella, Edward's here!" Sophie yelled from downstairs. I inhaled a deep breath and grabbed my purse. I turned to Lauren then because she was watching the kids tonight. I was surprised when she offered. She said she felt some type of way that I always asked Angela. She was excited about watching them for the night.

"What are you going to do with the kids?" I asked her.

"I'm taking the kids over to Emmett's to play with EJ and Amelia," she answered, and I looked at her with a raised brow. Emmett had been recently staying at the house his grandparents had left him. I thought it was amazing how Alice, Edward and Emmett all had a house of their own here in Washington thanks to their grandparents.

Lauren though, has been spending a lot of time with Emmett lately. She claimed she was only trying to help him adjust, but I knew Lauren.

"Can the two of you stop looking at me like that? I'm taking the kids to assure nothing happens between us. I will admit, I've thought about it, but he has too much going on and I don't do complicated," Lauren explained. Angela and I looked at each other but neither of us said a word.

"We might stay the night. Emmett said he was going to teach them how to put up a tent for the camping trip you guys are taking next month," she continued. I pointed my finger at her.

"You be careful Lauren, Emmett might be a dick, but he's still a Cullen, meaning he can charm the pants off of you if he tried hard enough," I warned her. She rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm just being a friend, because he needs one okay, now can you go on your date and worry about your own love life," she said pushing me out of my room.

"You know, I think Seth and I might stop by. You know, just to visit," Angela said. Angela was another one spending her free time with a guy, Seth to be exact. She said they were just friends, having fun, but as she said to me before, friends don't leave hickeys on other friends.

I decided that I would talk to the both of them later about their denial in having love lives and left my room to finally head downstairs.

I found Edward in the living room playing Mario Kart with Nicholas. Sophie was on the couch cheering Nicky on and from what I could see, he was winning.

"Did you come here to play with the kids or take me out?" I teased getting Edward's attention. He turned to me, a smile plastered on his face.

"You look beautiful," he said, obviously ignoring my question.

"I win!" Nicholas yelled. Edward laughed handing the Wii steering wheel to Sophie.

"Yeah, you beat me. I want a rematch tomorrow," Edward told him.

"You're on," Nicky said with a smile. I found it astounding how Sophie and Nicky had taken to Edward.

Edward got up from the couch and I watched him pick up the bouquet of flowers that were sitting on the coffee table. They were white orchids and pink roses.

But that wasn't what really caught my eye. It was the jeans he wore that seemed to fit him perfectly. The button up shirt that was fit enough to reveal he worked out. I licked my lips wanting to skip whatever date plans he had and just lick him clean.

"These are for you," he said, handing the flowers to me and pulling me from my inappropriate thoughts. I smiled, taking them and placing them up to my nose to smell them.

"Thank you," I replied with a blush, thankful he couldn't hear my thoughts.

"Okay, can you two get out and stop wasting time," Angela said coming down the stairs.

"I have to put these in some water," I said, and Angela snatched them out of my hands and passed them over to Lauren.

"I'll do it. Bye, have fun!" Lauren yelled walking towards the kitchen. I laughed as I looked at Sophie and Nicky.

"You two be good, please," I said. No one ever wanted to tell me when they acted up, but I knew my brother and sister well enough to know they were not angels.

"We will," they both replied without looking away from their current game of Mario Kart. I shook my head and looked up at Edward.

"Ready?" Edward asked. I nodded my head and we told everyone bye. We left the house and got into the car. He turned the radio on when he started the car. I knew he did it only because he knew I liked listening to music in the car. I smiled at the fact that he knew almost all my little habits.

_Catch My Breath_, by Kelly Clarkson started to play and I couldn't resist nodding my head to the song. I found myself mouthing the words to the song and blushed when I realized that Edward was watching me.

I smiled at him, but continued dancing in my seat and lip syncing the song. He laughed watching me and by the time the song was over, so was my nerves.

"Have fun?" Edward asked with that sexy grin on his face.

"I like that song," I replied sitting back and looking out the window. He only laughed as he continued driving. "Am I allowed to know where we are going?" I asked.

"Not yet, when we're closer I'll tell you," he answered. I rolled my eyes and continued to look out the window. We were in the car for at least twenty minutes before he decided he was ready to tell me where we were going.

"We're going to Broadway in Seattle," he said, and I turned around to see if he was serious. I mean, I knew he wouldn't joke about something like that because I would hurt him but seriously.

"Are we really?" I asked, a smile on my face. He looked away from the road for a second to glance at me.

"Yes, really," he answered with a grin. I couldn't remove the smile off my face. I didn't even care what we were seeing, the excitement of seeing a show was enough. I only ever watched musicals with my mom. We agreed to go see a show together one day but it never happened. I didn't have the heart to go see one after she died, and I didn't want to drag anyone who didn't love it as much as I did.

"What are we seeing?" I asked turning to him now.

"Wicked," he said, digging in his pocket then pulling out two tickets. I snatched them from his hands and yes, I started to bounce in my seat.

What can I say, I loved musicals.

I was giddy the rest of the ride there. When we arrived I seemed to get even more excited. Edward held my hand in his as we walked up to the ticket booth and gave them our tickets to go inside.

"If I get to see a smile like this just by taking you here, we'll never miss a show," Edward whispered into my ear, as they were directing us to our seats. I looked up at him with a huge grin on my face.

"I'll marry you if you bring me to every show," I said, then blushed so badly I felt the burn in my cheeks. That was not supposed to come out of my mouth.

"Is that all I have to do to make sure you say yes?" he asked back. I smirked looking away from him. This was not a conversation we needed to be having, at least not now.

We took our seats and the moment the light went dim, the excitement in me was about to practically jump out of me.

I watched the show closely; I honestly don't even know if I blinked. I watched so many musicals on television and DVDs, but there was nothing like sitting right here.

I could feel Edward watching me every once in awhile, and I would glance over at him with a smile. I teased Edward when I noticed that he knew the words to one of the songs they were singing. He said that Esme loved musicals, too, and they saw Wicked when it came out on Broadway.

I was a little jealous he knew the words and I didn't. When they started _Defying Gravity,_ I couldn't stop myself from lip syncing the words. This was one song I definitely knew. I swear if I could sing like them I would own Broadway. After the show was over, I stood up with the rest of the theater giving them a standing ovation.

We left the theater and I left like I was floating, I was so happy. I was talking a mile a minute about the show as we walked outside. Edward pulled me against him and I smiled up at him.

"I'm happy you enjoyed it," he said grinning at me.

"I did and thank you for taking me."

"Can I get that thank you with a kiss?" he asked. I laughed standing up on my tip toes so that our lips would touch. He pulled me tighter against him pulling my bottom lip into his mouth. We broke the kiss smiling at each other.

"What's next?" I asked.

"A walk, at least until it's time for us to go have dinner," he replied.

"Where are we having dinner?"

"Not telling," he answered, taking my hand and lacing our fingers. We started walking up the street hand-in-hand. We continued up the street in the blissful bubble of being with each other.

"Tell me something embarrassing about you no one knows," I said looking up at Edward. He looked over at me.

"You know everything."

"I do not; tell me, please," I said pouting. He groaned and I knew I had him. He looked as if he was thinking then looked over at me.

"Umm, I used to wear glasses," he revealed. Now while I knew other people probably knew that, it was something I didn't know.

"That's not embarrassing and can I see you in your glasses, I bet you look so cute," I replied causing him to laugh.

"I don't have to wear them anymore. I had laser eye surgery."

"Aww, I would have loved to see you in your glasses. You probably looked like a hot professor," I teased.

"I don't know about all that."

"I do, and that doesn't count by the way. I said something no one knows, and obviously that is something your parents, Alice and Emmett would know," I pointed out to him. He laughed shaking his head.

"Okay, when I was fifteen, I got locked out of the house ass naked," he revealed. I laughed so hard I had to stop walking.

"Why the hell were you outside?" I asked still laughing. He just looked at me as if waiting for me to stop. I stood up straight and tried to stop my laughing.

"I was home alone, so I walked around the house naked. I like to do that. Anyway, I got curious and wanted to know how it would feel being naked outside. Keep in mind I was dumb and fifteen. I went out the back door knowing there wasn't any chance someone would see me, what I didn't count on was our dog at the time, Pup, closing the backdoor after I walked out onto the back patio," he explained. I tried not to laugh but I couldn't hold in my giggles anymore.

"How did you get back into the house?" I asked with the giggles.

"Don't ever try climbing a tree to get to the second floor window, naked," he replied and I laughed again at the thought of Edward climbing a tree naked. We started walking up the street again, Edward taking my hand into his.

"Your turn," Edward said, and I cursed under my breath knowing that was coming. "And I want something even Angela doesn't know," he added.

"Crap," I retorted making him laugh. I tapped my chin trying to think of something embarrassing that Angela didn't know.

"Oh, I have one! When I was in college, freshman year, I went to one of my classes. I was late, like the professor had already started the lecture late," I began and Edward smiled.

"So I rushed to take my seat and tripped over at least three people's feet, and knocked over their books, caused a serious disturbance. By now everyone is watching me and I am majorly embarrassed. So I find a seat in the back, only when I sit down, it turns out to be the one broken chair in the entire damn room and I practically fell right through it," I continue and I can tell Edward is trying not to laugh.

"The professor asked me my name, so I tell him. He says he doesn't have an Isabella Swan in his class. I asked him what class this was, and he tells me it's some marketing class which was filled with pretty much all seniors," I finished and Edward started laughing now.

"Aww, I'm sorry baby," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes as we continued walking. Then my nose wrinkled up and I felt disgust as I saw my ex-boyfriend Tyler. You would think since I went to college at UCLA, all the people I knew there would stay in L.A.

"Bella, is that you?" he asked, as if he didn't know. I inhaled a deep breath and didn't bother putting a fake smile on my face, as if I was happy to see him.

"Hi, Tyler," I replied. Edward's body language changed as he let my hand go and wrapped his arm around my waist, always so protective.

"You look great," he said, looking me up and down as if I wasn't standing here with Edward.

"Thanks," I replied dryly. He ran his fingers through his hair as he continued to look at me as if I was some meat for sale. "I mean you look real good, Bella," Tyler said and Edward cleared his throat getting Tyler's attention.

"Edward, this is Tyler. Tyler, this is my boyfriend, Edward," I introduced with a smile on my face. I really loved calling Edward _my boyfriend_.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yes, boyfriend; one that will kick your ass if you keep looking at her like that," Edward interjected. I placed my hand on Edward's chest getting his attention. He exhaled a deep breath but I could tell he was irritated with Tyler.

"Relax man, jeez. Bella and I go way back. I was just complimenting her on how great she looks," Tyler said, licking his lips as he looked at me again. Edward took a step towards Tyler and I pushed him back as best I could.

"Bye Tyler, we have somewhere to be," I said, taking Edward's arm and starting to walk away.

"Why don't you take my number down so we can keep in touch, and hang out sometime. I remember how much fun you used to be and I heard you're a lot more fun now," he said. I was seriously starting to think he had a death wish.

Edward pulled his arm from my grasp and stepped nose to nose with Tyler. I tried pushing Edward back but it was pointless.

"Why don't you walk the fuck away before I make you swallow your teeth," Edward threatened, with his fist balled up at his sides. I was hoping like hell that Tyler would just walk away.

Thankfully he did, but not before winking at me. I rolled my eyes at him and stood in front of Edward so that he was looking at me.

"Don't let that ruin our night, please," I said holding his face between my hands. Edward inhaled a deep breath and looked down into my face.

"I should kick his ass."

"He's not worth it. He's always been a complete douche. I don't even know what I ever saw in him," I said pushing my fingers into Edward's hair. "…and he doesn't matter. I'm with you, and we're on our date," I continued running my nails over his scalp. He smiled as I started to watch his face relax.

"I'll never let anyone disrespect you," he informed me, I blushed.

"I know."

"You should have let your father kick his ass," he said cupping my face now. I laughed agreeing.

We continued taking our walk, me holding his arm so that I could snuggle up to him. We walked past a little ice cream shop and I just knew Edward was going to say he wanted to stop in here. I noticed at the kid's birthday party that Edward loved ice cream.

He didn't say anything, he just grinned at me like a big kid. I rolled my eyes and we went inside the little shop. We approached the counter and I looked at all the different flavors they had.

"What do you want?" Edward asked me.

"I was just going to share yours with you," I told him. He smiled at me and waited for the guy to come over to take our order. Edward ordered a vanilla and chocolate mix on a cone. Once we had our ice cream, Edward paid and we left the parlor.

He licked the sides of the cone first then offered some to me. I smiled up at him and licked the same side he had licked only a second ago. His grin expanded on his face as he took the cone away and leaned into me to place a kiss on my lips.

We shared the ice cream as we walked and talked. When he placed the ice cream in front of me to like he brushed it over my mouth and got some on my chin and under my jaw.

"Why did you do that?" I asked laughing trying to get a napkin out of his hand.

"So that I could do this," he said just before licking the ice cream from my jaw, chin and then my lips. I moaned when he took my mouth desperately in a kiss. I wrapped my arms around him and I felt him fling the ice cream out into the street.

"I thought you wanted that," I whispered against his lips.

"I want you more," he replied wrapping his arms around me and kissing me deeper. I didn't care that we were in the middle of the street kissing like teenagers, I didn't care that I was probably moaning loud enough for people to hear, all I cared about was letting this man kiss me. He released my mouth, still holding me in his arms.

He just looked at me for what felt like forever, and where I would normally feel uncomfortable, if it were someone else. I was at complete ease as he looked into my eyes. He pulled away slightly pulling his cell phone from his pocket. I watched him check a message, then he looked back at me.

"We have to head back to the car so we can go to dinner," he told me. I nodded my head slightly out of breath from our kiss. He took my hand and we walked back to the parking garage.

I had no idea where we were having dinner, but it wasn't far from the theater. He parked in a little parking garage; it looked like it was private. He cut the car off and turned to me.

"We're having a picnic here at my mother's art gallery," he informed me.

"This is Esme's gallery?" I asked. He nodded his head and got out of the car. I followed, getting out also. He took my hand and we approached a side door. I watched him use a key and then put in a code.

The door beeped open and we walked inside. Edward turned the lights on and I looked around speechless. It was absolutely beautiful- all the exhibits Esme had in here. I walked around looking at each one, the next more beautiful than the one before it.

Some I even recognized as my mom's favorites. I smiled when I saw one of my mom's paintings up on the wall.

"You know I tried talking my mom into letting me have this one, and she refused," Edward said, coming up behind me and wrapping me in his arms.

"It's so weird seeing my mom's work in a gallery when I remember sitting in the room when she created it," I said, looking at the picture and remembering me watching her as a little girl.

"Come on, there's some more over here," he said taking my hand. I followed him and we walked around the entire gallery until we stopped at a lit fireplace. There were rose petals arranged to say _I heart you_ and it made me smile. There were candles lit, food, dishes, and champagne, all on a red blanket with large pillows matching the chaise lounge up against the wall. I looked up at him wondering how all of this was done since I knew he was with me.

"My mom and Alice," he said answering my unasked question.

"That was the message you received? I asked with a smile. He nodded his head and I looked back at the set up. I had never felt more special in my entire life.

We sat down and Edward showed me what we had for dinner. I smiled instantly recognizing it as food from one of my favorite restaurants. We feed each other while talking and joking, music playing softly in the background.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked him as I placed a piece of chicken in his mouth. He looked at me with a confused look on his face.

"I mean you're perfect, absolutely perfect. There has to be something wrong with you, a flaw or something," I explained. He laughed as he finished chewing his food.

"A psycho ex doesn't count?"

"I guess, but she's out of the picture," I reminded him. He nodded his head and looked as if he was trying to think of something.

"I have a serious comic book, and sci-fi addiction," he admitted. I laughed shaking my head.

"How bad of an addiction?" I asked.

"Emmett and I went to comic con in costumes," he said and I tried not to laugh. "I'm surprised you didn't notice the stash of comics when you came to my house. The action figures I gave Nicky, had those for years. They're all a super hero from one of my comic books," he continued and I laughed.

"I go and see every comic book movie, and I mean every movie. I used to have a crush on princess Leia," he said and I shook my head.

"So my boyfriend used to be a glasses-wearing, comic book geek?" I asked with a grin on my face. He laughed.

"I don't wear glasses anymore, but I still am a comic book geek," he replied. I sat up on my knees and crawled over to him. Kneeling in front of him I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"If that is the only flaw you have, I think I'll survive," I told him. He grinned at me.

"I forget to put the toilet sit down," he informed me.

"So does Nicky," I replied making him laugh.

"I clip my toenails in bed," he revealed and I sat back on my heels to look at him.

"That might be a deal breaker," I teased and he laughed pulling me back to him. I grinned brushing my nose over his.

"I still think you're perfect," I told him. He shook his head at me.

"You're perfect," he informed me.

"Nope, I drink out of the milk carton like a guy, and then I belch loudly," I revealed and he laughed.

"Still perfect."

"I am really unorganized, Angela keeps my closet clean."

"You're still perfect."

"Ummm…."

"…there is nothing you can say that will change my mind, Bella. And you forget, I've slept in the same bed as you, I've already witnessed the worst," he teased and I playfully slapped his chest as he laughed.

"You're perfect to _me_, Bella."

"Hmm, maybe we're just perfect together," I replied, he grinned at me.

"You won't hear any disagreement from me," he whispered against my lips before kissing me deeply.

Just then Lady Antebellum, _Just a Kiss_ started to play. Edward stood up from the floor and held his hand out to mine. I smiled placing my hand in his as he pulled me up from the floor. Holding me against his body we started to dance to the music.

_Lying here with you so close to me_  
_It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe_  
_Caught up in this moment_  
_Caught up in your smile_

_I've never opened up to anyone_  
_So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms_  
_We don't need to rush this_  
_Let's just take it slow_

I placed my head over Edward's chest as he held me tighter against his body. I smiled listening to the words of the song and how perfectly they fit our relationship. As usual the universe was on point again.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_  
_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_  
_No, I don't wanna mess this thing up_  
_I don't wanna push too far_  
_Just a shot in the dark that you just might_  
_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life_  
_So baby I'm alright_  
_With just a kiss goodnight_

Edward's hand caressed my back as he rested his head against mine. I felt safe with him, as if nothing could get to me or make me sad ever again.

_I know that if we give this a little time_  
_It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find_  
_It's never felt so real_  
_No it's never felt so right_

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_  
_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_  
_No, I don't wanna mess this thing up_  
_I don't wanna push too far_  
_Just a shot in the dark that you just might_  
_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life_  
_So baby I'm alright_  
_With just a kiss goodnight_

_No I don't want to say goodnight_  
_I know it's time to leave, but you'll be in my dreams_  
_Tonight_  
_Tonight_  
_Tonight_

He turned my head causing me to look up at him. I watched as his face lowered to mine placing a kiss on my lips. It was soft and sweet as we continued dancing. My arms slid up around his neck, deepening our kiss.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_  
_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_  
_No, I don't wanna mess this thing up_  
_I don't wanna push too far_  
_Just a shot in the dark that you just might_  
_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life_  
_So baby I'm alright _

_Ooooh, let's do this right, _  
_Just a kiss goodnight_  
_With a kiss goodnight_  
_Kiss goodnight_

The song came to an end and Edward broke our kiss, looking down into my eyes with the most desirable expression on his face. In that moment I wanted him more than ever before, and I was starting to feel like I couldn't wait anymore.

I stepped closer to him removing the little distance that was between us, and wrapped my arms around him even tighter. He brought his face back to mine and we shared another kiss. This one was different, more desperate than the one before it.

He started to walk backwards, pulling me with him until he sat down on the chaise lounge pulling me into his lap. Cupping my face, he kissed me intensely, pulling on my bottom lip and sucking on my tongue.

"Edward," I moaned against his lips breathlessly.

"I know, Kitty," he whispered back taking my mouth again. I fisted his hair in my hand and kissed him even harder. I felt his hand on my thigh now, slowly creeping up under my dress. He released my mouth and started kissing on my neck. His tongue finding that spot just under my ear.

I couldn't wait anymore.

I didn't want to.

"Edward, I need you now. I can't wait anymore," I moaned when his hand palmed my ass. His lips lifted from my neck and he looked at me.

"I thought you wanted to wait until my birthday?"

"I can't wait that long," I said with a pout and he laughed.

"It's only three days, Kitty."

"I don't want to wait anymore, unless you don't want to…"

"…of course I want to, Bella," he enforced. "…but this isn't about me. This is about you. Your first time should be perfect and…"

"Tonight couldn't be any more perfect, right now, in this moment. If we wait till then my nerves will get the best of me," I said cutting him off. He looked at me for a long time and I knew he was going to start worrying that I wanted this for the wrong reasons.

I pulled his face back to mine and kissed him. I kissed him hard on the lips, so that he would feel how much I wanted this, how much I wanted him.

He kissed me back with just as much passion as I was giving him. His hand gripped my ass even tighter as the hunger in his kiss increased. I shifted in his lap so that I was straddling him now. I grinded my center into his erection and he groaned into my mouth, his arms wrapping around me.

"Edward, please," I begged when he started placing kisses along my neck again. I tossed my head basking in the pleasure his lips were causing in me.

"I want to, fuck, I want to baby. But you deserve more than just…" I stopped him placing my thumbs over his lips as I held his face between my hands.

"…I love you and I want you. I want you right here, right now," I informed him. He still didn't look like he was in an agreeable mood. I slipped from his lap and he looked disappointed from the loss of holding me.

He looked down at his hands probably thinking I was upset with him.

My silly boyfriend.

Looking at him, I removed the little belt I was wearing and then dropped it to the floor. He looked up at me, hearing the clunking noise the metal of my belt made on the floor, a questioning look residing in his eyes. Next, I turned and began to lower the zipper on the side of my dress.

I peeled the dress from my body allowing it to pool around my feet. Stepping over the discarded dress, I walked over to him in nothing but my black lace bra and panties.

Standing in between his legs, he didn't say a word as he looked up at me. His breathing increasing as he swallowed hard. I lowered myself before him and began to undo his belt.

His hand stopped me and I looked up at him. My heart was racing afraid of rejection. He leaned forward and cupped the back of my head bringing me closer to him, and kissed me. It was a hot kiss. One I was hoping meant he was going to give me what I was asking.

He lifted his lips away from mine and looked into my eyes. His thumb gently stroked my cheek as he looked at me.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered softly. I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth growing nervous again.

"You really want to do this here?" he asked me. I nodded my head _yes, _not trusting my voice. I didn't want to sound like some pathetic young girl.

"Stand up," he instructed, and slowly I did as told. I watched his eyes take me in, caressing my body in the most sexual way. He stood up from the chaise, his hand stroking my cheek and then down my neck.

My breathing seemed to increase as he did this. His touch was setting my skin aflame. His face came so close to mine his breath washed over me.

"Remove my clothes," he instructed me. I looked into his eyes to see if he was serious.

He was.

"I want you to undress me," he said, cupping my face in his hand. Chewing on my lip, I began to do just that. Slowly, I unbutton his shirt, and then I pushed it down over his shoulders. Next, I pulled his undershirt over his head and moaned at just the sight of his chest.

I looked into his eyes when I began to undo his belt, unbutton his jeans and then lowered his zipper. It was amazing how turned on it was making me by simply undressing him. I pulled his pants down and groaned seeing his erection. He stepped out of his pants removing his shoes. I couldn't move my eyes away from his cock. Knowing what was about to happen, his size started to intimidate me.

"I'll be gentle," he said, pulling me back up onto my feet. He cupped my face again and began to kiss me. I felt his hands all over my body, slowly massaging the tension out of me. When I felt his hand slip between my thighs, I moaned.

Gently, he stroked my hot center through my underwear. Cupping my neck, he kissed me deeper as his hand slipped into the front of my panties. Plucking, pulling and rubbing over my clit. I moaned into his mouth feeling the pressure build in me.

His hand slipped from me causing me to moan in disappointment. "Soon, Kitty," he whispered against my lips. Then he lifted me from the floor and I wrapped my legs around him. Turning, he laid me on the chaise kissing down my neck.

Skillfully he removed my bra, flicking it to the floor as if it was trash. Then he took my nipple into his mouth causing me to moan louder than I meant to. He nibbled on it gently looking up at me with fire in his eyes. He sucked and tortured each nipple until they were hard enough to cut glass.

Continuing down my body, he kissed and licked every visible portion until he reached my underwear. Looking up at me he removed my panties with his teeth. It was the fucking hottest thing ever.

Edward looked at me and I knew that look. He was hungry and I was his feast. At that point his tongue flicked against my center. I sucked in a deep breath as my hips lifted for more. Again he did it, then again and again. When his tongue entered me twirling, flicking and teasing me I fisted his hair.

He devoured me until I came undone screaming his name and begging him to make love to me now.

I was ready.

Slowly, he kissed back up my body until he was over me. Looking down into my face I could tell he was still unsure about this. Cupping his face in my hand, I brushed my thumb over his cheek.

"I want this, Edward. I want you, more than I've ever wanted anything," I informed him. He shifted, slightly pulling me under him so that we were both on the lounge chair. How we fit I didn't know, nor did I care.

"I don't have any protection."

"We don't need it," I replied. His breathing seemed to increase from that information. He continued to look at me as if I was this priceless artifact.

"I'll be gentle, but tell me if I'm hurting you," he said brushing the curls out of my face.

"I trust you," I told him. He shifted over me again and I sat up slightly pushing his boxer briefs down his hips. I swallowed hard looking at him and all his glory. He took my hands as he hovered over me.

"Hold on to me," he coached. I did so, as he lifted my leg slightly so that it was hitched over his hip. I felt him then, brushing gently against my awaiting flesh. He adjusted himself, preparing to enter me. My heartbeat sped up, the anticipation practically crumbling my senses.

"Relax," he whispered just as I felt him at my entrance. My breath stopped in my throat as I waited for him to push more of himself inside of me. He started and felt my body tense up at the invasion.

"You have to relax, _mi amor_," he whispered pressing his forehead to mine. I nodded my head trying to get my body to relax but it was too worked up, too excited. I felt him pull back, slipping what little had entered me from my folds.

"Edward," I began and he kissed me.

"I'm going to make love to you, Kitty, I just need you to relax," he whispered against my lips, just as I felt his fingers between my thighs. He started teasing my aroused pearl, pressing his thumb gently against it as two of his fingers slipped inside of me.

I moaned as his finger bent and curled in me. His thumb kept to the rhythm of his fingers inside of me. I wrapped my arm around him, fisting his hair as I rocked my hips against his fingers.

Still kissing me, his fingers pumped inside of me over and over until I started to come around his fingers. Digging into his hair as my release washed over me.

"Now," I moaned, wanting him to enter me while I was coming. He got the hint and his fingers slipped from my body and I soon felt the thick head of his cock at my entrance again.

"This is going to hurt, baby, just this once," he reminded me. I nodded my head. "Hold on to me," he said just before pushing into me, fully this time. The pain ripped through the ecstasy I was feeling only a moment ago. I held onto him for dear life as he pushed past my barrier once known as my virginity. He didn't move inside of me; just steadied himself so that I wasn't feeling all of his weight on me.

"Breathe, Isabella," he said, placing soft kisses on my face. I exhaled shifting under him slightly. It was a little uncomfortable but I knew that feeling wouldn't last forever.

"Are you okay?" he asked, brushing my hair from my face. I nodded my head, wrapping my leg around him. He groaned from my movement.

"I'm okay, I'm ready," I told him my breathing relaxing despite my racing heart.

"I love you," he said looking into my eyes as he slowly began to retreat out of my body. Then he thrust back inside of me gently. My eyes shut tightly at the mixed sensations I was feeling.

"I love you," he repeated as he slowly began to slip from my body and then push back into me. I tightened my leg around him, my fingers locking inside of his hair.

"Again," I moaned feeling that pleasing sensation start to creep back. He withdrew almost completely, and then thrust back inside of me more forcefully this time. My breathing hitched in my throat as my leg locked around him.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, concern laced in his voice. I shook my head.

"No, it felt nice," I assured him. He withdrew slowly and then plunged back into me causing him to groan. I wrapped my arms around him and lifted my other leg so I could wrap that around him as well.

"Bella," he moaned into my ear, flicking his tongue against that spot. Now that I was tightly wrapped around him, I kissed his cheek getting his attention. He turned his head, looking into my face now.

"Make love to me, don't hold back," I expressed. I saw the worry in his face. "I'm okay," I assured him again. He slipped his arm around me, bringing me closer to his body and then gradually he began to make love to me.

"Shh…yes," I moaned, starting to roll my hips like I had done when his fingers were inside of me. The discomfort was quickly leaving and being replaced with pleasure as he pummeled into me repeatedly.

Each thrust more forceful and powerful than the one before it. He felt better than I could have ever imagined inside me, filling me as if he was created just for me. His hips began to rock into mine, gaining momentum as I clawed at his back.

"So good, ah I knew you would be perfect," he moaned into my ear as he pounded into me. I could feel the pressure building in me again, stronger this time.

Was it possible to cum on my first time?

Of course it was, I was making love to Edward.

"I'm close, baby, faster, please," I moaned, fisting his hair in my hand. He took my mouth in a heated kiss as he held my hip and commenced to rapidly gyrating his hips into me. His body pressed into my clit causing the most amazing friction with each thrust back into my body.

"Oh fuck, yes! Just like that," I moaned out against his mouth. This orgasm seemed to be coming from all over my body. Spreading and fighting to explode out of me at any moment. Harder, Edward thrust into me, causing the legs of the chaise to scrape against the floor.

Faster he moved, his thick cock slamming into me, taking claim of me in only a way he ever would. My legs started to shake, my heart beating so loudly I was sure he could hear it. My eyes rolled, my back arched up from the cushion, my nails dug into his scalp and I screamed his name louder than I thought was ever possible.

My body convulsed in a way I had never experienced before, not even his mouth could measure to what his cock was doing to me right now.

"Shit, oh baby you feel so fucking good cuming around me, Kitty," he growled into my ear as he pressed me tighter against his body. By now my body had to have imprinted on his, we were so tightly mashed together.

I could feel him pulsing in me, twitching and throbbing against my pussy walls. I wanted him to cum inside me, I wanted to feel him fill me.

"Edward," I called to him in a shaky breath. He looked at me, his eyes saying so much in them it brought tears to my eyes.

"I love you," I said as his thrust slowed down. "Kiss me," I told him and he did not disappoint. Taking my mouth in a fever of a kiss, his thrust began to speed up again. I rolled my hips while running my fingers through his hair.

He moaned against my lips, which was then followed by me feeling him shake in my arms. He growled my name as he released inside of my body. He never stopped kissing me as I felt him pulsing in me, my walls contracted around him as I felt another orgasm being triggered by his.

"Ah, I fucking love you so much, Bella," he moaned as we came together.

Coming down from our release my body was still locked tightly around his. Slowly, he began to withdraw and I could feel a little of the discomfort return. I didn't care though. Slipping from my body, he quickly grabbed one of the blankets from the floor and pulled it over us. He shifted us so that I was lying on top of him while he held me in his arms.

I placed my head on his chest feeling complete bliss.

"How do you feel?" I heard him ask as his fingers traced over my back.

"Perfect," I answered with a smile against his chest. He chuckled, causing my body to shake.

"That's good to know, but I mean do you feel sore at all?" he asked. I looked up at him resting my chin on my hands.

"A little, but I'm too happy to care."

"I'm going to run you a bath when I take you home," he said brushing my curls away from my face.

"Will you take the bath with me?" I asked with a sexy grin on my face.

"Insatiable."

"Only for you," I replied. He gave me that sexy grin of his, as he cupped my face in his hand.

"Was it everything you dreamed?" he asked and I knew he was referring to our first time together.

"Even, better. Thank you."

"No, thank you for giving me you," he replied. I leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips as he held my neck kissing me deeply. It might have been unusual that I choose here to have our first time. But here is where it felt right, perfect and I knew tonight was just the first of many.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	20. Hopelessly Devoted

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Hopelessly Devoted _**

**_Chapter 20_**

The sun seemed to be brighter than usual today as it beamed through my window. I would have been annoyed with the sun being in my face, but I was in too much of a blissful mood.

_The Morning After_

I don't know how other women felt the morning after their first time, but I felt like the luckiest person in the world.

Last night was the best night of my life, and I couldn't wish for it to be any more perfect. I knew that the moment Angela and Lauren saw me they would know because the smile on my face was endless.

Much like the love I had for the man lying next to me and spooning me against his bare body. Last night, Edward ran me a bath like he said he would. I managed to talk him into taking the bath with me, but that was all I was able to talk him into.

He wanted me to heal, to wait until my body wasn't sore before we made love again.

I'll admit I did walk a little funny when we left the gallery last night, and I was sore, but I wanted him, pain be damned.

I turned in his arms so that I could face him. He pulled me tighter against him, probably feeling like I moved too far away. Even in his sleep he didn't like me out of his arms.

Yup, he was perfect.

Lifting my hand, I pushed my fingers into his hair and a little smirk touched his lips. I don't know what I did for the universe to think I deserved him but I was grateful.

This love I had for him, was so astounding, it made me wonder if this was how other people felt when they fell in love.

I had never loved anyone the way I loved Edward.

I loved my parents, Angela, Lauren, and I love Sophie and Nicky more than all of them put together.

But, what I felt for Edward was so different, gratifying even.

Without him I don't know what I would do, how I would even function properly. I thought I had been in love before, but it didn't feel like this, it never felt like this.

"Go back to sleep, baby," Edward whispered with his eyes closed as he rolled over onto his back, pulling me to his side. I smiled wondering how he knew I was awake. With my face in the crook of his neck, I couldn't resist inhaling his masculine scent.

I placed a kiss just under his chin and he stirred some in his sleep. I hitched my leg over him trying to get closer, and I felt his glorious cock twitch against me.

Sleeping in the nude was the best idea I've ever had, well after talking him into making love to me in the gallery.

Chewing on my lip, I slowly moved my fingers over his chest hair, placing soft kisses where my fingers just touched. His arm that was around me, pulled me tighter against him, but I could tell he wasn't awake yet.

He was a hard sleeper and right now I was counting on that.

I continued placing kisses on his chest, continued with my wandering fingers. I slipped my hand under the covers and wrapped it around his semi erection. I squeezed gently, and he moaned clutching onto me now.

He moaned my name and it made me smile.

Slowly, I stroked him causing him to grow harder in my hand. I climbed on top of Edward, straddling his hips. I was careful not to put too much weight on him; I didn't want to wake him just yet.

I leaned into him and began placing kisses against his neck, all while grinding myself over his morning wood.

"Hmm," he moaned, as his arm came up to wrap around me. I couldn't tell if he was awake or not, but I gripped his cock in my hand preparing to lower myself around him.

"What are you doing, Kitty?" he asked, as his hand caressed my back. I lowered my lips to his ear, my bare chest pressing against his.

"Getting ready to ride you," I breathed into his ear as I held him between my thighs.

"Fuck," he moaned out as I started to lower myself around him, sheathing his cock until he was balls deep inside of me.

I whimpered at the feeling of having him inside of me again. His arms tightened around me and his eyes squeezed shut. I knew he was awake now. Slowly, I started to rock my hips over him, having to shut my eyes because it felt so good.

"You're trying to kill me, Kitty," he whispered into my ear, as he still held me tightly against his chest.

"No, just fuck you," I replied, flicking my tongue against his ear. His hand traveled over my back until it was cupping the back of my neck. He turned my face to his and kissed me. It was hot and sloppy, just how I liked it. Maybe normal people who have been concerned about morning breath, but I wasn't letting anything ruin this moment. I could feel him growing harder inside me, twitching against my walls.

"Are you still sore?"

"Does it matter?" I asked back still kissing him. He pushed my face away from his and looked into my eyes. I knew he would try to tell me to stop if I was still hurting, but I didn't want to. I wanted him.

I rolled my hips over him, faster this time. I saw the conflict in his face, the desire to enjoy this, and the concern that he was possibly hurting me.

"I'm okay, Edward," I said turning my face into his hand and kissing his palm. Then I took his thumb into my mouth, sucking gently as I looked into his eyes.

I lifted up feeling him slide from my folds, then slammed myself back down around him causing us both to moan out loudly. I placed both my hands on the headboard and repeated doing it again. Continually, I slammed myself back around him, feeling him in the pit of my stomach.

"Ah, fuck, Kitty, do that again," he growled, his hands gripping my ass now. I smiled as I did as requested. I locked my thighs against his hips and bounced up and down around him. The pleasure on his face was evident and unmistakable.

His hands rested on my hips as he looked up into my face. Faster, I rode him, bucking, rocking and rolling my hips over him. It all came so naturally. I didn't have to think about what to do next, I just did it.

He reached up pulling my hand from the headboard and laced our fingers together. Then he did the same with my other hand. I felt him shift under me slightly, and then when I lifted up, he slammed back into me before I could even bring myself back down around him.

The mix of pain and pleasure shot through my body like a tidal wave, as my head fell back and a moan ripped from my throat. Edward didn't move so I knew he thought he hurt me.

"Again," I moaned, lifting myself up from around him so he knew exactly what I was asking for. He slammed back into me and my nails dug into his hands. He felt so fucking good. I was already seconds away from cuming around him.

Releasing my hands, he gripped my breast in his and took my nipple into his mouth. I rode him faster, pushing my fingers into his hair as he sucked and nibbled on my breast. I was close, I could feel the pressure building in me, feel it pooling in my gut.

Edward must have felt it too, because he released my breast and pulled my face against his. Our foreheads touching as I continued to roll my hips over him.

"Cum for me, Isabella," he whispered as he looked into my eyes. I moved over him, my clit rubbing against his pelvic bone and driving me completely mad. My nails dug into his skin as I felt my walls lock around his cock, clutching him.

He groaned, grabbing the back of my neck with one hand while the other held me tightly to his body. My orgasm was close, I moved faster, grinding harder.

"Oh god, I'm cuming," I moaned, bouncing faster, bucking uncontrollably. My eyes shut tightly as ecstasy damn near ripped me in two.

Edward quickly sat up now, still holding me as I rode out my release. I bit at his lower lip as I tried not to bust his ear drum with my scream.

"I don't think I will ever get used to feeling you do that around me," he said against my lips. I let out a shaky laugh scraping my nails over his scalp.

"How sore are you?" he asked, placing kisses on my shoulder. I pulled back slightly, turning his face to mine.

"I'm not, finish making love to me, please," I said. I kissed him before he could come up with a reason why we should stop. I knew he hadn't climaxed and I wanted to feel his cum inside of me again.

He lifted us up slightly and then started laying me down on my back. Still balls deep inside of me, he started with slow strokes. I wrapped my legs around him and began kissing him even harder. Each thrust into me was new, hard and mind blowing. How people didn't stay in the house forever just to have sex, I'd never know.

"Edward, faster," I pleaded. While slow was more than nice, I enjoyed when he slammed into me like a maniac. He sat up and then took my legs, hooking them over his arms.

"If I hurt you…"

"I trust you," I said cutting him off before he started to worry. He pulled on my legs pulling me flush against him. He moved gradually, watching as his cock enter and retreated from my body over and over again.

My hands gripped the sheets as I felt him slipping deeper into me with every thrust. One of his hands started to massage my clit, and my hips rocked to meet his thrust and his touch.

"Edward," I moaned, needing him to go faster. His hand moved from my center and he hovered over me. My legs were being pushed closer to my face as he planted his hands into the bed. Then he started to really pound into me.

"Ah, yes," I moaned out in pleasure.

Over and over again, he slammed his perfectly thick cock into me, as I cried out shamelessly for more. It hurt so good, I was sure I was seeing stars.

Again and again, he pummeled into me, the bed shaking from our quake. I held onto his arms as I happily took him into me.

Every reentry, the tip of his cock hit my spot effortlessly, pressing against it and then retreating. He filled me perfectly, no wall untouched by his cock, no spot untreated by his thrust. My walls started to contract around him, snag him and hold him in place.

"Oh fuck, Kitty," he growled, placing his forehead against mine and pinning my legs even higher. I had never realized how flexible I was until now, and by the way he groaned when he seemed to slip deeper, I was thankful.

"You feel so perfect, my Bella," he breathed, as he started to gyrate his hips. A cry of satisfaction fell from my parted lips in response. He was pressing against my clit again and the combination of that and having him so deep inside of me was astounding.

I placed my legs on his shoulders and he took my hands, lacing our fingers over my head. Then he commenced to pound into me rapidly. Stealing kisses from my lips every time he pulled out of me almost completely.

Then he would grip my hands tightly when he slammed back into me. I was close again and all I could do was moan his name. Never could I have predicted that making love would feel this good, never would I be able to go back to not feeling this. His thrust started to grow wild as he rocked into me.

He was cuming, I could feel him starting to pulse inside of me, much like he did yesterday or when I had him in my mouth. I locked my legs behind his neck and pulled him closer to me. He took my mouth in a kiss, his hands gripping mine even tighter as he repeatedly slammed into my wet folds.

Then when he roared out my name in his release, I convulsed screaming his name in mine.  
I lowered my legs from his shoulders as he placed kisses on my face, while he pulled out of me. I hated how empty I felt now that he wasn't inside of me anymore. He rolled over onto his back, his breathing uneven.

"Feel free to wake me up like that every morning," he joked, making me laugh. I turned on my side and began placing soft kisses on his chest.

"I'll remember that for tomorrow morning," I said with a grin on my face. He laughed and looked over at me.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, and can you please stop worrying about that. I am perfectly happy right now," I replied taking his cock into my hand as I used my tongue to make patterns on his chest. His head fell back against the pillow, as I started to stroke him back to a full erection.

Yes, I wanted him again, but who wouldn't?

Plus, I knew my time was limited before the kids came home.

"You should heal up some more before we go again," he replied, and I groaned falling back against the bed.

"Edward, if you don't want to have sex with me anymore, just say so," I snapped, and he was over me a second later.

"Of course, I want to make love to you, Bella. It is all I can even seem to fucking think about right now. I don't think it will ever be possible for me to fully function without thinking about being inside of you now, but I would never forgive myself if I hurt you," he informed me. I cupped his face in my hand pushing my fingers into his hair hoping to get him to relax and to stop worrying about how sore I was.

"Edward, listen to me, all right. I am okay; no, I'm more than okay. I am so happy right now I could do back flips. The bath last night helped and now all I want is for you to make love to me until we _have_ to stop," I told him, he smiled down into my face.

"I love you," I reminded him.

"I love you so much, Bella."

"Show me," I whispered with a grin. He lowered his head and took my mouth in a steaming kiss. He encouraged me to turn on my side with my back against his in a spooning position. He never broke our kiss as I felt his hand grip my thigh.

He lifted it over his leg and then pushed up into me. I moaned into his mouth from the pleasure I felt as he entered me again.

"Fucking hell, you're perfect," he growled against my lips. I reached my hand back for his face as our kiss grew more intense. His other arm wrapped around me as he held me against his body and slammed into me repeatedly.

My breathing grew more and more out of control as he pounded into my folds. Releasing my lips, he started licking and sucking on that spot behind my ear as he lifted my leg holding it up in the air. Edward began to thrust into me faster while his hand that was wrapped around me started pinching at my nipples.

There was no way I was going to last long before I convulsed around him again. Already my body was ready to fall, captured to the fire Edward was igniting in me. Harder his thrust came, as he pumped up into me over and over again.

"Baby, I-I…I'm so close," I whimpered digging my nails into the hand that was holding my leg up. I think I heard him growl as his thrust increased. He released my nipples and then started to pluck, pull and massage my clit.

I reached back for him, fisting his hair in my hand as he devoured my neck. My eyes shut so tight tears started to form in them, as he continued driving into me like a drill. He never let up as my moans filled the room.

I gripped the pillow under my head as I felt the pressure in me start to build. It was the most delicious feeling in the world having him actually fuck me. I bit down on the pillow and he bit into my neck.

"I want to hear you, Kitty," he growled into my ear. I released the pillow from my mouth and let him hear me. His fingers on my clit moved faster as he pounded harder. Then my orgasm hit me so hard, the scream that ripped from my throat went silent.

I trembled against him as he thrust faster and faster until he slammed into me one last time as he came joining me in bliss. He let my leg go, placing kisses on my neck and jaw. I could feel his heart racing against my back as he still held me in his arms.

"You will certainly be the death of me, Bella," he moaned into my ear. I laughed wiggling my hips and causing him to groan because he was still inside of me. He popped me on my ass and I yelped out with a laugh.

Was it kinky that I enjoyed that?

"Before we can go again, I need food, rest and coffee," Edward half joked as he slipped from my body. We both groaned at his departure from my body. I rolled over on my stomach and looked over at him. A smile plastered on my face. He smiled back at me, his fingers playing along my spine.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me, as he moved my hair from the back so he could continue running his fingers up and down my spine.

"You, and how happy I am with you," I answered. The grin on his face expanded in a way I don't think I could ever remember seeing before.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that, all I want for you is your happiness," he replied with his fingers in my hair. I smiled at him knowing what he said was the truth.

"You make me happy, I feel safe with you."

"You are safe with me. I will never let anything hurt you, ever," he said. While we both knew it was impossible for him to really protect me from everything, I loved the determination I saw in his eyes to do just that.

"Come on, I have to feed my man before I fuck him into oblivion," I teased, getting up and he laughed pulling me back down on his chest. He kissed my lips softly before allowing me to move.

We used the bathroom, dressed in something decent and then headed downstairs for us to have some breakfast. Edward ended up actually cooking though, because I called Lauren to talk to Sophie and Nicky. They had spent the night at Emmett's, camping out in his backyard.

"Did you have fun on your date, Ella?" Sophie asked me. I smiled looking at Edward.

"Yes, I had a great time."

"Good, I told Edward that you liked the play _Wicked_. Did you like it?" she asked me in a joyful voice.

"Yes, I loved it. Next time the two of us have to go."

"Yeah, I'm Glenda the good witch though," she told me and I laughed. I talked to her a little longer and then she put Nicholas on the phone.

"Bella, did you know that Edward and Emmett used to camp all the time when they were little?" he asked the moment he got on the phone.

"No, I didn't know that."

"Yeah, Emmett said they did it all the time with Mr. Carlisle. It was their father-son thing. Do you think Edward would do that with me?" he asked and I smiled.

"Of course, why don't you ask him, hold on," I said. Edward turned to me and I handed him the phone.

"Hello. Hey Nicky, yeah, we did used to do that. Sure, we can do it, too, every summer if you want. Just the guys, no girls allowed," Edward said and winked at me.

"Okay, are you guys being good? Yeah, I know Emmett does snore really loud. Hi Sophie!" he yelled into the phone and I knew Sophie must have yelled _hi Edward_ on the other end. Edward talked to them a little while longer then he handed me the phone back.

"Nicky, did you take your medicine this morning?" I asked a little worried.

"Yes, Emmett reminded me with breakfast. Bella?" he asked, and I could tell that whatever he was about to say to me was serious.

"Yeah, Nick?"

"I like our new family," he sort of whispered into the phone. I smiled chewing on my lip.

"Me, too, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we get to keep them forever, kay?"

"Yeah, I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Nicky," I said, and I saw the smile touch Edward's lips. He put Lauren back on the phone and she tried getting me to tell her about last night, but I told her I would just tell her and Angela at the same time.

"Angela's here. Her cock-blocking ass didn't leave last night," Lauren said, and I laughed.

"Good, you don't need to be getting into a messy situation anyway."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"I can't tell you anything right now anyway, just know that I am no longer an endangered species," I whispered into the phone, knowing she would know just what I meant. She started screaming for Angela and then practically blurted out to anyone else who was around what I just told her.

"About damn time!" I heard Angela yell in the background.

"I'm getting off the phone now, bye," I said and hung up before either of them could say anything else to me. Edward placed my food down in front of me with a stupid grin on his face.

"Endangered species?" he asked with a brow raised.

"Oh shut up," I retorted, making him laugh. He sat down next to me and we ate breakfast having light conversation.

"Have you given any more thought to what Mrs. Newton is offering you?" he asked, as he put a fork full of food in his mouth.

"Yes, but I think I should go back to school first and at least get my degree in business," I answered. He nodded his head and I saw the wheels turning.

"I'm still not okay with taking money from you, Edward."

"It's for school, Bella. You can consider it a college scholarship, if you want," he said and I shook my head.

"There are many other people who deserve a scholarship more than me," I replied and he inhaled a deep breath.

"I doubt that very much, and it's my money and I want to help you go back to school."

"I won't feel right taking money from you."

"You're not taking it from me, I'm giving it to you," he pressed back. Chewing my food I looked up at him. I could tell he was getting frustrated with me being so stubborn.

"You already do so much for me and …"

"…I do it because I love you, Bella. No other reason. You've already given me more than I could have ever dreamt to ask; let me help you," he interjected more forcefully. I looked at him for a while saying nothing.

"A scholarship?" I asked and he smiled, obviously seeing that I was going to give in.

"Yes."

"Okay," I said placing my fork in my mouth. He grinned at me and we continued eating our breakfast.

"What do you want to do for Father's Day?" Edward asked me, and I have no idea how I forgot that Father's Day was tomorrow.

"Take Sophie and Nicky to my father's grave, I was going to read their letters to them there. I don't know what to do after that," I said chewing on my lip.

"My mom is giving Emmett and my father a cookout tomorrow. You know the three of you are more than invited. She wanted to ask, but wasn't sure if you had plans already," Edward told me. I nodded my head.

"That would be nice; I don't want them to be sad. You seemed to keep them pretty busy on Mother's Day," I said with a smile.

"They kept me busy, but I love them so I didn't mind," he replied, and that was the first time I heard him say that he loved them out loud. I mean, of course I knew he did, I didn't doubt that, but hearing him say it was just…I couldn't explain it.

I decided then that I was going to get Edward a Father's Day gift. He might not have actually been a father, but he was an honoree one.

"Have you heard from Marie lately?" he asked, obviously knowing I hadn't because if I did I would have told him.

"No," I answered drinking from my cup. I think he was starting to get worried that I didn't want to talk about her, but I didn't have anything to say.

"Bella…"

"I'm still not ready to talk about her, Edward; I don't even like acknowledging that she's alive while _my real mom_ is dead. It's not fair," I said looking up at him under my lashes. He cupped my face in his hand forcing me to look at him.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I know it's not fair, but remember I'm here for you. You don't have to pretend to be strong about this, if you want to cry, here's my shoulder, if you want to yell, here's my ear. If you just want me to hold you I will," he told me. I felt the tears in my eyes, but I couldn't bring myself to cry about her.

Marie did not deserve my tears.

The doorbell rang and I groaned having no idea who could possibly be at the door. I was hoping it wasn't Marie again, I was seriously already sick and tired of her.

"I'll get it," Edward said, getting up from the kitchen island. He must have been thinking the same thing I was thinking. He placed a soft but passionate kiss on my lips.

"I'll be right back," he told me. I nodded my head and started to clean up our dishes as he walked out of the kitchen. I could hear voices in the distance, but I couldn't make out what was being said, or who it was.

"Bella, baby," Edward called to me from the front door. I put the dishes in the sink and walked to go see what he wanted. My heart started to race a little when I saw it was Emily.

"Oh, the kids aren't here. There staying with…"

"…relax Bella. I'm not here about the kids, well I am, but not as a monthly visit. Can I come in and talk to you?" she asked. I nodded my head as Edward and I stepped back allowing her inside.

"Jonathan should be meeting me here soon, also," she added, and now I was extremely confused and terrified.

"Emily, what's wrong?" I asked my heart starting to race. Edward took my hand into his as if to calm me, but that wasn't going to work.

"I really want to wait until Jonathan arrives," she replied and I could feel tears in my eyes.

"I didn't do anything wrong. You're not taking them from me," I snapped and Edward pulled me to his side.

"What is this about, Emily? Bella hasn't done anything wrong, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand here and let you take them from her," Edward replied.

"I promise you, I am not here on behalf of the State. I'm here as someone concerned, for the three of you," she replied. That didn't make me feel any better. There was another knock on the door and Edward swung it open, catching Jonathan's hand in mid-air.

"Have to say, I'm not surprised you're here, Edward," Jonathan said with a smile, as he came into the house. He came over to me and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"How are you, Cinderella?"

"I'll be fine, once you and Emily tell me why the both of you are here," I said. He nodded his head.

"Right, come on, let's talk," he said walking into the living room. Edward and I followed behind him and took a seat on the loveseat.

"You didn't tell her anything?" Jonathan asked looking at Emily.

"No, I thought it would be better to wait for you, since I know she'll have questions I can't answer," she replied and I was growing irritated.

"What is it that you have to tell her?" Edward asked obviously getting annoyed as well. Emily looked up at Edward then at me.

"Bella, I think we should talk about this alone, just the three of us…"

"Edward isn't going anywhere, now tell me why the hell you are here," I snapped. I saw Jonathan smile; he always said he loved seeing my mom's fire in me. Emily inhaled a deep breath.

"Your mother's sister, Robyn Dwyer McAllister, is planning to file a petition for custody of Sophia and Nicholas?"

"What!" I yelled swearing, I must have heard her wrong. "Can she do that?" I asked looking at Jonathan for the answer.

"Since Sophie and Nicky are still considered wards of the State, yes she can," Jonathan answered, and a slew of curse words flew out of my mouth, as I jumped up from the couch.

"Why the hell is she doing this now? She didn't want them before!" I yelled, pacing back and forth in the living room.

"Does she know I already put their money in a trust fund, she can't touch their money," I said looking at Jonathan.

"She knows, and she's planning to use that against you by claiming that now you can't afford to take care of them," Jonathan told me. I shook my head unable to believe this bullshit. As if my life wasn't already complicated, it just had to get worse.

"What does she want though, it's not because she suddenly feels like a horrible aunt for disowning her sister's children," I said.

"I think it has to do with the property the three of you own," Jonathan replied, and I stopped pacing and turned to look at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"The three of you own two houses, an art studio, two cars and every piece of art your mother left behind. If she was to get custody of Sophie and Nicky she would have control over those items, more than you because she has both Sophie and Nicky's share," Jonathan explained.

"That can't be fucking legal," Edward snapped. I looked at him and saw how distressed he looked. Was he as upset about this as I was?

Possibly.

"Her lawyer found enough loopholes to make it legal," Jonathan retorted running his fingers through his hair.

"So now I have to not only fight the State but her as well?" I asked on the brink of tears now.

"How do you know about this Emily?" Edward asked.

"Robyn's lawyer came over to my office, they were going to force me to testify on their behalf by talking about the things you've done wrong," she answered, looking at me. I shook my head and sat back down next Edward, feeling completely defeated right now.

"You said they _were_ going to force you?" Edward asked.

"I resigned as Bella's social worker. If I'm not working the case they cannot force me to report anything. I gave your case to one of my trusted colleagues and I'll monitor everything from a distance, but the only way I could make sure I didn't have to talk about the things I did not report, was if I removed myself," Emily explained.

"I thought you reported everything?" I asked.

"She reported everything to me. She omitted some things because we both felt it was ridiculous what they were putting you through, she made you think she reported everything in case someone came around asking questions," Jonathan explained. This was starting to be too much. Why did I have to deal with so much just to be allowed to raise my sister and brother?

"So what does this mean for the case?" Edward asked again, taking the words out of my mouth.

"Sadly, it does push the custody hearing back some. The Judge wants to take everything into account, and with the new case worker, he wants her to have time to investigate both you and Robyn," Jonathan explained further.

"I can't lose them. I can't! I promised my parents, I promised Sophie and Nicky," I cried as Edward held me in his arms.

"If it's any consolation, Bella. The Judge really likes you for this, he really has faith that you can do this," I heard Emily say, but it didn't mean anything to me right now. That bitch Robyn could ruin everything, all because she wanted to get her hands on the so called _fortune_ we had.

I would give her everything if it meant she would just leave Sophie and Nicky with me.

"What am I going to do?" I cried into Edward's chest. The room remained quiet, no one offering me any alternatives until…

"Marry me," Edward blurted out. Slowly, I lifted my head from his chest to look at him.

"What?" I asked thinking maybe I heard him wrong.

"Marry me," he repeated again. Was he serious?

I looked up at him and I didn't see a hint of regret to what he was saying. He was serious. But it was wrong; I couldn't marry him just because of this, could I?

Was he only asking because he thought it would help my case? Of course he was, what man would actually want to get engaged the same month he got divorced. I loved him but I wouldn't do this to him. I couldn't.

"Edward…"

"Marry me, Bella," he repeated cutting me off and holding my face in his hands now. His eyes were pleading with me to say yes to his proposal.

"Please don't be stubborn with me right now, baby, just say you'll marry me," he said and the tears continued to fall down my face as I looked back at the man I loved more than anything, the man I was hopelessly devoted to.

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**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	21. Part of Me

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

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**_Part of Me_**

**_Chapter 21: Edward's POV_**

_Moments earlier_

I got up to answer the door and I wish I would have known the bad news that was coming before I did.

I opened the door seeing Bella's case worker Emily, standing there. She looked startled to see me.

"Dr. Cullen, surprise seeing you here," she said with a polite smile.

"Same to you. I hope you aren't about to cause any trouble for Bella," I replied sternly.

"I'm just here to talk to her," Emily replied. I inhaled a deep breath.

"Bella, baby," I called out to her. She came to the front door a moment later and I saw the worried look on her face the moment she noticed it was Emily at the door. I hated when she looked terrified, and I hated it even more if I was unable to fix it.

"Oh, the kids aren't here. They're staying with…"

"…relax, Bella. I'm not here about the kids, well I am, but not as a monthly visit. Can I come in and talk to you?" Emily asked. Bella nodded her head, and we both stepped back so that she could come in.

"Jonathan should be meeting me here soon, also," Emily added as she walked into the living room. This confused me now, why would Bella's lawyer have to meet here as well?

"Emily, what's wrong?" Bella asked, the worry obvious in her voice. I took her hand into mine, hoping it would remind her that whatever this was about, I was here for her.

"I really want to wait until Jonathan arrives," Emily replied, and I wanted to fucking yell at her, because what she was doing was worrying Bella even more.

"I didn't do anything wrong. You're not taking them from me," Bella snapped in a shaky voice. I could tell she was on the brink of tears with worry. I pulled her against me knowing when I did this, it helped relax her.

"What is this about, Emily? Bella hasn't done anything wrong, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand here and let you take them from her," I said, glaring at Emily as I stroked Bella's hair.

"I promise you, I am not here on behalf of the State. I'm here as someone concerned for the three of you," Emily replied looking at Bella.

There was a quick knock on the door and I swung it open, catching Jonathan's hand in mid-air.

"Have to say, I'm not surprised you're here, Edward," Jonathan said with a smile, as he came into the house. He walked over to Bella and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"How are you, Cinderella?"

"I'll be fine, once you and Emily tell me why the both of you are here," she answered. He nodded his head.

"Right, come on, let's talk," he said walking into the living room. We followed behind him and sat down on the loveseat. I tried keeping Bella as close to me as possible.

"You didn't tell her anything?" Jonathan asked looking at Emily.

"No, I thought it would be better to wait for you, since I know she'll have questions I can't answer," Emily replied, as if Bella and I weren't still sitting here. I was starting to get anxious.

"What is it that you have to tell her?" I asked. Emily looked at me as if she thought I had no right to be here.

"Bella, I think we should talk about this alone, just the three of us…"

"Edward isn't going anywhere; now tell me why the hell you are here," Bella snapped. They were crazy if they thought I wasn't going to sit with Bella. Emily inhaled a deep breath.

"Your mother's sister, Robyn Dwyer McAllister, is planning to file a petition for custody of Sophie and Nicholas?" Emily said, and the anger that rose in me was liable to kill someone.

"What!" Bella yelled, "Can she do that?" Bella asked, looking at Jonathan for the answer.

"Since Sophie and Nicky are still considered wards of the State, yes she can," Jonathan answered. A slew of curse words flew out of Bella's mouth, as she jumped up from the couch. I started pulling at my hair as I tried to think of anything that could stop this from happening.

"Why the hell is she doing this now? She didn't want them before!" Bella yelled, pacing back and forth in the living room.

"Does she know I already put their money in a trust fund; she can't touch their money," Bella said looking at Jonathan.

"She knows, and she's planning to use that against you by claiming that now you can't afford to take care of them," Jonathan explained.

This was fucking ridiculous, and I couldn't believe anyone was really going to believe this concerned-aunt bullshit.

"What does she want though? It's not because she suddenly feels like a detestable aunt for disowning her sister's children," Bella snapped. She looked like she was falling apart and it was killing me.

"I think it has to do with the property the three of you own," Jonathan replied, and I looked over at him now.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked.

"The three of you own two houses, an art studio, two cars and every piece of art your mother left behind. If she was to get custody of Sophie and Nicky, she would have control over those items, more than you because she has both Sophie and Nicky's share," Jonathan explained.

"That can't be fucking legal," I snapped, ready to go find this fucking woman and rid the fucking planet of her.

"Her lawyer found enough loopholes to make it legal," Jonathan retorted, running his fingers through his hair.

"So now I have to not only fight the State, but her as well?" Bella asked with tears in her eyes.

"How do you know about this Emily?" I asked needing to find out more information.

"Robyn's lawyer came over to my office. They were going to force me to testify on their behalf by talking about the things you've done wrong," she answered, looking over at Bella. Bella shook her head running her fingers through her hair as she sat back down next to me.

"You said they _were_ going to force you?" I asked, noticing she used past tense.

"I resigned as Bella's social worker. If I'm not working the case, they cannot force me to report anything. I gave your case to one of my trusted colleagues and I'll monitor everything from a distance, but the only way I could make sure I didn't have to talk about the things I did not report, was if I removed myself," Emily explained.

"I thought you reported everything?" Bella asked.

"She reported everything to me. She omitted some things because we both felt it was ridiculous what they were putting you through. She made you think she reported everything in case someone came around asking questions," Jonathan explained. I can't say that I was surprised Jonathan was doing that, I knew he only wanted the best for Bella and the kids.

"So what does this mean for the case?" I asked, wanting to know what this meant for us.

"Sadly, it does push the custody hearing back some. The Judge wants to take everything into account, and with the new case worker, he wants her to have time to investigate both you and Robyn," Jonathan explained further.

"I can't lose them. I can't! I promised my parents, I promised Sophie and Nicky," Bella cried as I held her in my arms.

"If it's any consolation, Bella, the Judge really likes you for this, he really has faith that you can do this," Emily said, but it didn't stop Bella from crying. At this moment I didn't think anything could stop her tears.

Renee's sister knew what this would do to Sophie, Nicky and Bella, and she didn't care. All she seemed to care about was getting her hands on the fortune they were left with.

There was no way in fucking hell I was going to stand by while someone broke up the family I now considered my own.

I couldn't picture my life without the three of them; couldn't see a future where they were not there with me. Bella was my future wife, even if she didn't know it yet, but I did.

"What am I going to do?" she cried into my chest. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, I knew I planned to marry Bella one day, she was the one for me, I was sure of it.

"Marry me," I said clearly. Slowly, Bella's head lifted from my chest and she looked at me.

"What?" she asked in a shaky breath.

"Marry me," I repeated more sternly so she knew I was serious.

I saw the confusion in her face, the battle that she wanted to fight with me about this. My silly Bella still didn't understand that I wasn't going anywhere. She was it for me. I knew, I would love her the rest of my life, all I needed was the chance.

"Edward…" she started getting ready to protest, I was sure. I held her face in my hands, wiping tears from her cheeks with my thumbs.

"Marry me, Bella," I repeated with pleading eyes. "Please don't be stubborn with me right now, baby, just say you'll marry me," I said, as her tears continued to fall from her beautiful eyes.

She looked at me for what felt like forever then jumped up from the couch and quickly left the room. I inhaled a deep breath running my fingers through my hair. I stood up going after her.

"Bella," I called after her, but she only shook her head as she walked up the steps. I followed behind her until we were both inside of her bedroom. I shut the door behind me so that we would have a little more privacy.

Bella sat on the edge of the bed, balling the sheets up in her hands. I didn't say anything. I wanted to wait and see what she said.

"Why?" she asked in a whisper. She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "Why did you ask me that?" she pressed, chewing on her lip. Inhaling a deep breath, I walked over and sat down next to her.

"Because I love you," I answered, but she shook her head.

"I can't let you do this, Edward."

"Let me do what, Bella?"

"Take this responsibility. Sophie and Nicholas are my responsibility not yours. I would hate myself if I trapped you like this," she continued. I swear this woman made me so damn frustrated sometimes.

"Bella, I love you and I love them. The three of you are my life now…"

"…you only asked me because of what Jonathan just said, and while it's sweet for you to offer…"

"…offer? Bella, I'm not offering to marry you as if it is some strain on me. I asked you because I can't see my life without you. I asked because you are it for me. I asked you because I see Nicky and Sophie as family just as much as I see you as my wife. I asked because it's what I want more than anything in this fucking world," I declared, holding her face and forcing her to look at me.

"What if it starts to be too much and you want out…"

"I'm never going to want out, because I am never going to want to be anywhere as much as I want to be with you," I replied cutting her off.

"God, this is just so fucked up," she said, pulling her face from my grasp.

"Do you not want to marry me? If you don't, we can…"

"Of course I want to marry you, Edward!" she practically yelled at me, and while she looked like she was ready to slap me for my statement, I couldn't resist smiling at her admitting to wanting to marry me. "But under these circumstances…it's just—wrong isn't it?" she continued.

"Marrying you could never be wrong, Bella."

"Your divorce was just finalized…"

"I don't care."

"So, you'll just jump back into another marriage because you want to help me? I've never been married before, but I'm sure that's not why anyone should get married. It would be for the wrong reasons and you already made a mistake like that; I can't let you do it again."

"First of all, I'm not just jumping into another marriage for the wrong reasons this time, and marrying you will never be a mistake. I will admit that I do want to help you, but that is not the sole reason I asked. I _want_ to marry you and the number one reason for that is because I love you. I've known I wanted to marry you since the day Nicky was in the hospital, and I fell in love with you before that. What do I have to do to make you understand that?"

"I'm just scared you're going to resent me one day for this, hate me for pulling you into my mess," she cried. I lifted her from the bed and placed her in my lap. Holding her in my arms I kissed her forehead.

"I could never hate you, Bella, and I will never resent you for giving me a family," I informed her. She looked up at me, her cheeks stained with her tears.

"People my age don't usually get married this young," she teased with a smile whipping at her face. I was starting to feel like I was about to hear my _yes_.

"People your age also don't usually have to raise their younger brother and sister. Plus, my parents got married at your age; look how happy they are. Now, are you really going to play the age card, baby?"

"Ugh, can you imagine when people ask me how you proposed and I say, 'oh, I was getting some really overwhelming and devastating news and he just blurted it out,'" Bella joked making me smile.

"Then I'll propose again to give you a beautiful story to tell our children one day. Now, is that a _yes_?" I teased her. Her cheeks flushed as she smiled at me.

"Yes," she answered finally. "Yes, I'll marry you, Edward," she told me with a beautiful smile on her face. Grinning, I kissed her hard on the mouth holding her face in my hand.

"Baby, you would have ripped out my heart if you told me _no_," I whispered against her lips. She pulled away looking at me.

"Thank you."

"I should be saying _thank you_. You have no idea how you've completed my life, Bella."

"Ditto," she replied with a smile. I kissed her again and then we went back downstairs to finish talking to Jonathan and Emily.

"Since the two of you are holding hands, can I assume I'll be invited to a wedding soon?" Jonathan asked with a grin on his face. Bella blushed, as she tucked her face into my chest.

"Yes, as soon as possible if I get to have my way," I replied, as Bella and I went to sit down. I held her hand in mine as she placed her head on my shoulder.

"This will affect the case significantly," Jonathan said with a smirk on his face.

"In a good way," Bella said, but it sounded more like a question.

"Yes, of course. One of the Judge's concerns was that you were going to be raising them by yourself at your age. If you and Edward get married…."

"When…" I corrected, and Bella looked up at me with a smile on her face.

"When…" Jonathan corrected with a smirk. "…you and Edward get married, it will remove the concern the Judge had about you raising them alone," Jonathan explained to her.

"Edward, I don't know if Bella told you this, but to avoid any future legal trouble at the end of the custody hearing, and we win of course, she intends to officially adopt the kids. This means that they will be just as much your responsibility as Bella's no matter what," Jonathan explained to me. I knew he was hinting at if in the event Bella and I were to get divorced, I would still be legally responsible for Sophie and Nicky.

I looked down at Bella and saw that she was chewing on her lip. I pulled her lip from between her teeth. I knew she was probably fussing at herself for getting me into this, if only she would understand there was no place I would rather be.

"I'm perfectly fine with that. Sophie and Nicky are already mine anyway," I replied and watched a smile touch Bella's lips.

"I'm happy to hear that, I've been telling Bella to get ready to be called _sister mom_, she doesn't like the name," Jonathan joked and I watched Bella's face wrinkle up.

"It sounds stupid," Bella replied.

"Ah come on, Cinderella, you are their sister and with the adoption you'll legally be their mom…_sister mom_," Jonathan joked and Bella laughed which is what I think Jonathan was going for.

"Okay, jokes aside, this will give your case more of a foundation, Bella. Make it stronger against both the State and Robyn. I suggest though that you get these nuptials finalized as soon as possible. The Judge will not fully take Edward into account until then, so the sooner the better," he continued.

"How soon?" Bella asked before I could.

"September, at the latest I would suggest," he answered.

"I would try to keep clear of some people I feel have it out for you, Bella," Emily said, speaking for the first time since we came back downstairs.

"People like who?" Bella and I asked at the same time.

"I'm not at liberty to say, but someone at the school called a few times, and someone who worked at your office, Edward. Also, another woman called, all she told me was that her name was Valerie. Somehow, she always knew when something went wrong," Emily revealed, and Bella sat up and looked at Jonathan and me.

"I don't know a Valerie," she said looking worried. "Do you think Robyn has been having me watched?" Bella asked, and I pulled her against me and tried soothing her.

"That's a possibility I've considered since Robyn has entered the picture. I'll look into it, Bella. Don't worry yourself about it, all right?" Jonathan soothed. She nodded her head, but I could tell she was still worried.

"We have many other things to consider also, what about finances? The main reason she will try to say you cannot afford to provide for the children is because you deposit the foster care checks directly into their trust fund accounts, and you pay a private school tuition on your salary, " Jonathan stated. I hadn't even known Bella was receiving foster care checks for Sophie and Nicholas.

"I never wanted those damn checks; all I want is Sophie and Nicky,"

"I know that, Bella, but you know legally you are considered their foster parent until the Judge makes a final decision," Jonathan explained, and I could tell that was not the first time he's had to say that to her.

"What's mine is hers. I have more than enough money to support the three of them for two lifetimes, so none of that will be a problem anymore," I cautioned, and watched Bella roll her eyes. I smiled because now she couldn't refuse the money if it was hers, too.

"That gets rid of Robyn's claim on you not being able to support them," Jonathan said with a laugh.

"Also, with Nicholas having mild to severe asthma and suffering from asthma and panic attacks, the fact that Edward is a doctor will not go unnoticed to the Judge," Emily added and I smiled again.

"Edward, you will have to undergo a randomized drug test just like Bella; it is to assure that neither of you are drug users, which if Robyn gets desperate, she may try to claim. The two of you have to decide where you are going to live, because a safe neighborhood is a must, and Sophie and Nicky have to have their own rooms. You said you can support the children, more than likely the Judge will want to see your financial records, Edward, also a background check will be performed for the kids' safety and…."

"…I can't do this," Bella said, shaking her head and cutting Jonathan off. We all looked at her and I turned her face so that she was looking at me.

"Do what, Bella?" I asked with concern.

"I can't put you through all of this; it's not fair to you…"

"Baby, I want to do this."

"They're going to dig into your personal business…"

"I have nothing to hide, and if it means we get to keep Sophie and Nicky, they can look until the next eclipse. I love you and I love them," I enforced again. She started chewing on her lip. Her nerves getting the better of her, I was sure.

"You're going to hate me for this one day, I just know it."

"You're wrong," I replied, and she looked at me obviously getting ready to argue with me. "Bella, I've never wanted something so bad in my life, until I met you and those kids. You've given me something to live for, I will be eternally grateful to you," I told her and I saw tears in her eyes.

"You're crazy…"

"Crazy about you. I'm completely out of my mind," I joked with a grin. She gave me her beautiful smile, her blush filling her cheeks. I placed a kiss on her lips and then we finished talking with Jonathan and Emily about how we could strengthen our case even more.

"Jonathan, I would really like if my attorney, Jasper Whitlock, could help."

"Jasper, I met him at the kids' party. Of course, the more help the better. I have a feeling Robyn is going to play very dirty when she finds out that Bella's getting married," Jonathan said, with an uneasy smirk on his face.

"All of this over money," Bella whispered shaking her head.

"Some people are just that greedy, Cinderella."

"I cannot wait until this is over," she retorted. We all sat there silently just as the front door opened and I heard Sophie and Nicholas.

"Eww, stop it!" Sophie yelled as they walked into the living room. They both stopped, seeing us all sitting there. I watched the worry in their faces when they saw Emily.

"Bella, get your butt down here and tell us about last night!" Lauren yelled, and then slapped her hand over her mouth when she and Angela walked into the living room behind Sophie and Nicholas.

"Hi, Uncle Jon," both Sophie and Nicholas said giving Jonathan a hug. Their eyes never left Emily.

"What's wrong, Ella?" Sophie asked coming over to us. Nicholas looked at Emily with what I was now calling his death glare.

"Nothing," Bella lied, running her fingers through her hair.

"Why is she here?" Nicholas asked looking at Emily.

"Nicky," Bella said in a warning tone. Nicholas inhaled a deep breath and mumbled a _sorry_.

"Nicky and Sophie, why don't the two of you go take your overnight bags upstairs, then maybe we can go out later to get all the equipment we'll need for the camping trip," I said, knowing they were excited about their camping trip with the summer camp. They both nodded their heads and left the living room with one last glare in Emily's direction. Emily and Jonathan both stood up to leave.

"Let me know when the two of you decide on a date," Jonathan said, giving Bella a hug and kiss on her forehead. Bella and I nodded our heads.

"I'm going to walk them out, okay?" I told Bella. She nodded her head again and I placed a kiss on her temple before I got up. Angela and Lauren went over to Bella the moment Emily, Jonathan and I exited the living room.

"Tell Bella, I am sorry and I will help anyway I can," Emily said as she left.

"Thank you, I'll let her know," I replied as we watched her leave. I stood out on the front porch with Jonathan.

"This will probably get worse before it gets better," Jonathan cautioned, looking out into the street. I nodded my head.

"I know and I'm here for them every step of the way," I responded. Jonathan turned to me then.

"On behalf of me, Kathleen, Billy, Charlie and Renee—Thank you," he said and I smiled shaking his hand.

"Have Jasper call me, so we can talk."

"Will do," I replied as he left. I walked back into the house and heard Bella, Angela and Lauren laughing. I walked into the living room and all three of them looked over at me.

"Good job, Dr. Hot Pants," Lauren said and with a smile. "Our girl must have blown your socks off last night," she added making Bella blush.

"You just remember, you marry her, you marry us, too, because we're not going anywhere," Angela reminded me and I smiled.

"Good, I'm going to need the two of you to help me deal with all her stubbornness," I replied, making them laugh and Bella stick her tongue out at me.

"So, when's the big day going to be?" Angela asked.

"Soon, I hope," I answered smiling at Bella.

"Jonathan suggested no later than September," Bella added looking over at me.

"This is so exciting. Well not the shit with whatever her name is, but the two of you. It's like the perfect love story," Lauren said, and it was the giddiest I've ever seen her.

"Has she been drinking?" Bella asked Angela.

"I didn't see her drink anything, but I'm starting to think she did," Angela added.

"Oh screw you both. I'm just happy for you, damn!" Lauren retorted making them laugh. Sophie and Nicky came back downstairs and I knew we needed to tell them.

"We're going to go," Angela said standing up when she saw Sophie and Nicky.

"Why, I want the details about last night. I was promised details," Lauren said and I laughed when Angela pinched her arm.

"You will get your details later, you pervert, now come on," she said pulling Lauren up from the couch. I laughed as I watched the two of them leave.

"Ella, can we play outside?" Sophie asked.

"Uh, in a second, Edward and I need to talk to you guys about something," Bella said. Sophie and Nicky looked up at me as if needing me to tell them that everything was okay.

"Come on," I told them as I walked further into the living room. I sat down next to Bella on the loveseat and Nicky sat on the arm of the seat next to Bella, while Sophie sat on my lap.

"Is Ms. Emily taking us away?" Nicholas asked.

"We were really good at Uncle Emmett's house, we didn't fight or anything," Sophie said and I saw the surprised look on Bella's face.

"Uncle Emmett?" Bella questioned glancing over at me.

"Yeah, he said we could call him that if we wanted to," Sophie said, obviously not seeing the big deal in this. I saw a smile touch Bella's lips and I was dying to know what she was thinking.

"So, is she taking us?" Nicholas asked, obviously still wanting an answer.

"No, and I'm going to help make sure no one ever takes the two of you away from your sister," I answered and he nodded his head.

"Then what's wrong?" Sophie asked looking between Bella and I.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just, um, Edward and I are getting…married," Bella said as if she was still having trouble believing it herself.

"Really!" Sophie yelled.

"That's awesome!" Nicholas shouted.

"Yay! Amelia will be my cousin!" Sophie said with a huge smile on her face. I have to be honest, I was not expecting this reaction from them.

"Will this make Ms. Esme and Mr. Carlisle like our grandma and grandpa? We never had grandparents," Nicholas said with hope in his voice. Bella told me before that Renee and Charlie's parents died before Sophie and Nicky were born.

I wasn't surprised they looked at my parents as their grandparents. Hell, once my parents found out they were bound to throw a party.

"This is the best news ever!" Sophie said, excitement practically shooting out of her. Bella and I laughed.

"Edward, does this mean you're going to help Bella take care of us?" Nicholas asked, and I saw the worry in his eyes. I knew some part of him feared losing his sister.

"Of course, Nicky. I love you guys," I told him and he smiled. "Cool," he replied, blushing like Bella often did.

"Will you two like have babies and stuff?" Sophie asked with a grin on her face.

"Can we get a dog now, Bella, we have Edward to help us take care of it?" Nicholas asked.

"We can talk about a dog later, and Sophie don't worry about any baby talk right now, okay," Bella replied answering them both. I wondered if Bella would want children. It was a conversation we never actually had.

"Fine, but do I at least get to be the flower girl?"

"Of course," Bella answered and Sophie smiled. She turned in my lap and gave me a hug.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered. I hugged her back.

"I love you, too, Soph," I replied with a grin, feeling my heart expand. She jumped up from my lap and hugged Bella next. Nicholas walked over to me and he just looked at me.

"So, camping every summer?" he asked.

"Yup, just us guys-no girls allowed."

"Uncle Emmett, EJ and your dad, too?"

"It's a Cullen family tradition," I replied and he grinned at me, and then gave me a hug as well.

"Can we go outside now?" Sophie asked.

"Sure, be careful!" Bella yelled, because they were already running out of the house. With a smile on her face, she ran her fingers through her hair.

"This morning I was on cloud nine," she said, and I started to rub out the tension in her shoulders.

"…And Now?" I asked her. She placed her head on my shoulder and took one of my hands into hers.

"Now, I feel emotionally drained. In one token, I am happy because I get to marry you," she said looking up at me. I smiled at her placing a kiss on her lips.

"But…"

"…I'm worried about this custody hearing. What if we lose them?" she asked, and it didn't go unnoticed to me that for the first time she said _we_.

"We won't lose them. Between Jonathan and Jasper they will never let that happen, and I will never let anyone take them away, do you understand me," I retorted sternly. She nodded her head inhaling a deep breath.

"My mom used to say that sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being," Bella said. Then she looked at me.

"Thank you for being that person for me," she said. I cupped her face in my hand and kissed her with everything I had in me.

I watched my parents all my life and never thought I would have even a fraction of what they shared. It was one of the reasons I settled for Carmen; but Bella changed all of that.

Everything about her was both my strength and my weakness now.

"I can't wait to make you my wife, Bella."

"Hmm, are you sure you're ready for that? I can be a real pain," she joked against my lips.

"No more than usual," I teased and she slapped my thigh.

"Of course I'm ready. I didn't say anything I didn't mean today, Bella. The three of you, mean more than my own life to me."

"You're doing that thing again, where you make my head spin with the little sweet things you say," she said with a smirk.

"It's all true."

"I know."

"So when do I get to move in?" I asked and she laughed shaking her head.

"Goodness, we're really doing this."

"Unless you don't want to," I replied, and she gave me the death stare Nicky was known for. "I was just saying, no need to look at me like that," I chortled, causing her to roll her eyes.

"I just pictured it differently, I guess."

"Different how?"

"I don't know. I never imagined this feeling that we're being forced for one…"

"You feel forced to marry me?"

"That's not what I meant. It's just…ugh! Instead of me being able to just enjoy this, and getting to bask in the glory that I'm your fiancée, I have to worry about everything else. How this affects the case? How soon we have to get married for it to fully impact the case…it just sort of takes away some of the joy of the situation," she explained, and I could understand that completely.

"I think some part of me wanted the romance; I feel like it was stolen from me. I don't know. I'm being stupid," she said shaking her head.

"You're not being stupid, Bella. You deserve everything your heart desires and I'm going to see to it that you get just that. Romantic proposal included," I informed her. She smiled at me, placing little kisses against my jaw.

"So you're just going to move in here?" she asked, going back to my previous question.

"Unless you want to move into my house, or we can get a new house. Whatever you want to do is perfectly fine with me."

"Hmm... decisions, decisions," she joked with a smile. "How about for now we just stay here, we did just redecorate the kids' room. Then maybe once we need more room…we can move," she answered with a sexy grin on her face. Her eyes were dancing with teasing joy overpowering the worry that rested behind them.

"We'll need more room?" I asked, rubbing my nose against hers.

"Yes, unless you don't want to expand our little family one day."

"Hmm... expanding sounds really nice," I replied, bringing my face closer to hers. She smiled leaning in to me.

"Uh huh, really, really nice," she answered with her lips brushing against mine. I grinned and then kissed her deeply on the mouth. She moaned and melted into my side as I kissed her beautiful mouth thoroughly.

"Eww, get a room," we heard Nicholas yell just before we heard his footsteps up the stairs. Bella and I both laughed as we pulled apart.

"We have to tell your family," Bella said looking nervous.

"I think my mom has been planning our wedding since the moment she met you," I replied, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"You don't think, they'll think I'm using you? I love your family, Edward, and I would never want to lose their respect or…" I placed my hand over her mouth stopping her nervous ranting. She looked up at me, her eyes wide. I removed my hand from her mouth and cupped her cheek in my hand.

"Bella, they love you, and you know my family, they would never think that of you," I reassured her.

"Can we get married after my birthday?"

"Why after your birthday?"

"I'll just feel better if I'm 22," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Okay, I'll bite, why will you feel better if you're 22?" I asked with a smirk on my face.

"Because I will and don't laugh at me," she said playfully shoving my chest. "You'll be 33 on Wednesday."

"Okay…"

"If we get married before my birthday you'll be 33 and I'll be 21…" she explained and I smiled at her.

"Okay…"

"Edward, stop looking at me like that," she said with a pout and sitting back on the couch.

"Like what?"

"Like, I'm being stupid."

"I don't think you're being stupid, Kitty. I'm just trying to understand."

"I can't explain it, just forget it," she said pouting and shrugging her shoulders. I wanted to tease her and tell her she was acting her age, but I had a really good feeling that age was the problem here.

"Kitty, if you want to wait until after your birthday, we can wait."

"No, ignore me, I'm being childish."

"You're not being childish. You said it will feel right if we get married after your birthday so that's what we'll do," I told her, turning her face so that she was looking at me.

"You wanted to get married before that?"

"I _want_ to marry _you_," I expressed. She smiled and then straddled my lap. I was surprised since I knew the kids could come in at any moment.

"I want to marry you, too, on August 13th," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. I looked at her with a brow raised.

"That's not after your birthday."

"Aren't you the genius," she teased making me laugh.

"That's a week before Alice's wedding, why that day?

"I think I'm hurt that you don't remember," she pouted, pulling at the hair on the back of her neck. I tried thinking what I was doing on August 13th last year and then it hit me…

"I met you…"

"Uh huh, so it would be like our unofficial one year anniversary," she said with a smile on her face. I quickly pulled her face to mine and devoured her mouth. She laughed against my lips.

"I take it you like that idea," she mumbled against my lips while she rocked her hips causing me to get hard under her.

"I'll show you how much I like that idea later," I replied pressing her into my groin. Bella was a part of me, and she was permanent.

"Are we going to have to see you two like this all the time since you're getting married?" Nicky asked. Bella and I turned to see him standing in the living room entrance. I wasn't sure how to reply but I didn't have to.

"Yes, so get over it," Bella said sticking out her tongue at him. He laughed and then looked over at me.

"Edward, are we still going to the store to shop for camp stuff?"

"Uh, yeah, Nick. Just let us go get changed," I told him. He nodded his head and ran back outside with a warning to Sophie to close her eyes if she came in the house because Bella and I were smooching. His words not mine.

"We can do this right?" Bella asked looking at me.

"No question about it, we're a great team, Swan."

"Soon to be Cullen," she added with a grin, and I kissed her all over her face telling her over and over again how much I loved the sound of that. I couldn't wait until I made her officially part of me.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	22. We're in this Together

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_We're in this Together_**

**_Chapter 22_**

_"Happy Father's Day, daddy," I said walking over to him with the present my mom helped me pick out. He turned around in his bed and smiled at me. I reached the bed and he pulled me up next to him._

_This was a dream, but a memory. I remembered this day, perfectly._

_"Thanks, Princess. What do you have there?" he asked, looking down at the gift I was holding in my little hands. I handed it to him and he smiled at me opening the present. Honestly, I couldn't remember what the gift was, just that he said he liked it._

_"You know, kiddo, you're the best kid a dad could ask for," he said putting the gift on the nightstand. I smiled up at him._

_"That's because I'm amazing," I replied causing him to laugh. I sat on his bed talking with him like I did often when I was a little girl._

_"Daddy, when I grow up I'm going to marry a guy just like you," I used to always tell him. He would laugh._

_"I don't know, Princess. I don't think any guy will ever be good enough for you. I still don't know how I got so lucky," he would reply. I always smiled and cuddled up under him Sunday mornings. It was the only day he always had off from work._

_My mom would cook breakfast while I sat and talked to my father about my entire week. When I was a teenager, I stopped sitting with him as much, you know it wasn't cool. Now I would give anything to be able to cuddle with him on a Sunday morning again._

_"You know I was wrong," I hear my dad say as I cuddled with him. I looked up at him puzzled. My father never said he was wrong about anything._

_"What are you wrong about, dad?" I asked him and now I realized that the dream had changed. I wasn't a little girl anymore, I was me._

_"I think he's good enough for you, Princess," he soothed. I didn't have to ask who he was talking about because I knew. I started chewing on my lip._

_"You won't be there to walk me down the aisle."_

_"I'll be there, because I'll be here," he said, placing his hand over my heart. I leaned my head against his shoulder and started playing with his fingers. It always amazed me how real these dreams felt. I don't know if it was because I remembered them so perfectly that it felt real, or if maybe by some freak chance it was real._

_"How did you know mom was right for us?" I asked him. If this was real—I really needed his advice._

_"I wouldn't say I knew, but more like she felt like a piece I never noticed was missing."_

_"Did you worry that maybe you were wrong?"_

_"Everyday up until the day you called her mom for the first time. Then I knew that I had to do everything I could to make sure we didn't lose her."_

_"Do you think I'm making the right choice?" I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders._

_"That's a question only you can answer, Princess, because you have to live with it. All I can tell you is when you make your choice, choose the one you can live with, and remember to live because life isn't promised to anyone, " he replied. I smiled because that sounded just like something he would say._

_He used to always tell me that a person can get advice from a hundred people, but in the end you have to decide on your own, because you were the person who had to live with the decision._

_"I miss you, dad, every day," I cried hugging him._

_"I miss you, too."_

"Baby…" I faintly heard Edward call to me. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw him looking back at me, concern on his face.

"You were crying. Were you having a bad dream?" he asked brushing my hair out of my face. I shook my head.

"No, it was a good dream."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because I wanted it to be real."

"Do you want to talk about it," he prodded. I started sitting up in the bed and he moved sitting up also. I explained that I was dreaming about Charlie and Edward pulled me into his side.

"Do you want me to go with you to the cemetery?" he asked. Inhaling a deep breath I nodded my head.

"I would like that," I answered. He smiled at me and placed a kiss on my forehead. "The dream felt so real, as if he was sitting right next to me," I continued, placing my head on Edward's shoulder.

He held me tighter in his arms not saying anything. I couldn't blame him though, what did someone say to something like that?

I didn't need him to say anything, though. As always, he was already doing just what I need him to do, he was comforting me.

"I was thinking…" he started to say, and I looked up at him. He looked like he was seriously thinking about something, and for some reason I had a feeling he was going to say he changed his mind about us getting married.

The thought of him changing his mind scared the hell out of me.

"…you were thinking what?"

"That we should go out for breakfast…" he answered. I smiled shaking my head.

"What?"

"I thought you were going to say you've changed your mind about getting married," I said laughing at how silly it sounded out loud.

"Not a chance in hell. We're in this together. I'm marrying you, Ms. Swan; there is nothing I want more than you," he answered like the perfect guy he was. There was no way I could doubt his reason for proposing when he talked like that.

Honestly, it was my reason for saying _yes_, that worried me. I wanted to marry Edward; I mean who wouldn't want to marry him? I was just worried that I wasn't making the right decisions for everyone involved. I was worried that I was trapping Edward and being too selfish to realize it.

Though, Edward was the last person on the planet that would call me selfish. But my number one reason for telling him yes I would marry him was purely selfish; I couldn't see my life without him.

I wish there was some guidebook to follow in life, a blueprint God gave for us to know what decisions to make. Someone to tell us that we were making the correct choice, that we were taking the right path.

I may have been mature for my age, but it didn't change that I was terrified.

Edward and I were getting married. It was what I wanted; I couldn't see my life without him, but would it seriously be best for the kids. Would I be ruining Edward's life?

It was a mental battle.

"You're over thinking again," Edward whispered cupping my face in his hand. I smiled because it always amazed me how he seemed to know what I was thinking.

"I can't help it."

"What's bothering you?"

"What if I'm ruining your life and theirs?" I whispered looking away from him. He pulled my face back up to look at him.

"You're not. Sophie and Nicky couldn't have asked for a better sister, and you are the best thing to ever happen to me," he assured me.

I was probably just being stupid I knew that, but I couldn't change the way I was feeling. I loved the three of them more than my own life, so the fear that I was making the wrong decisions terrified me.

"I don't deserve you," I said and he smiled.

"You deserve the world and then some, Kitty," he replied, pulling my face closer to his. I smiled just as he placed a kiss on my lips.

"I love you."

"I love you," I replied just as we heard Sophie and Nicholas out in the hallway arguing over the bathroom.

"It's really weird that they wake up at the same time everyday…" Edward said making me laugh.

"I know. They've done that ever since they were born."

"That will change when they're teenagers."

"God, I hope they're not as bad as I was when I was a teenager," I said groaning. Edward laughed.

"You couldn't have been that bad."

"I was very sneaky growing up, and I mean sneaking boys into my room, kind of sneaky."

"Sneaking boys into your room? Goodness, I forgot about things like that, Sophie's going to give me a heart attack," he replied, falling back against the pillows as I laughed.

"We don't know that, maybe she'll be a good girl. I mean it wasn't like I was sleeping with those boys."

"What did you do with them?" he inquired with a curious look. There was no way I would ever answer that question.

"It doesn't matter because we both know you were my first and only; I'm marrying you in August, and I love you more than anything," I said with a grin, as I used my fingers to trace his chest.

"Nice save, Kitty," he chuckled placing a kiss on my lips. Eventually we got out of bed and we all got dressed so we could leave to go have breakfast and then head over to the cemetery.

We decided to have breakfast at IHOP, and the kids were more than excited about this, since they loved the endless pancakes.

We were shown a table and given our menus. Sophie insisted I sit next to Edward because we were getting married. It made me laugh and blush when the people across from us smiled our way. We sat there silently as we all looked over the menu.

"Ella, can I get this?" Sophie asked, pointing at the menu. I nodded my head seeing what she wanted. The waitress came over to our table and she smiled directly at Edward. I was surprised at how uncomfortable this made me.

I mean, I wasn't insecure about Edward's feelings for me. Also, if he could stay faithful to a bitch like Carmen, I knew he would never cheat on me.

"Hello, I'm Kim. What can I get for you?" she asked, as if no one else was at the table with him.

"Kids, why don't you tell the nice lady what you want…" Edward said looking over at Sophie and Nicholas. The two of them told her what they wanted for breakfast and then she looked back at Edward.

"Now what would you like?" she asked still smiling. I just couldn't understand why she had to smile so damn hard at him. I had never felt so possessive over anyone in my life.

"Baby, have you decided what you want yet?" Edward asked turning to me. I smiled at him, but shook my head.

"No, what are you going to have?" I asked. He told me that he was stuck between two dishes so I suggested I get one and he get the other and we just share. He smiled, placed a kiss on my lips then placed our order.

The waitress walked away and I turned to Sophie and Nicky. I smiled at the two of them and nodded my head towards Edward.

"Now?" Sophie asked. I nodded my head _yes _and she turned, digging in Nicholas' book bag that he took with us when we left the house.

Edward looked confused and I smiled. Unknown to Edward, we snuck off and brought him a gift for Father's Day.

Sophie pulled out the gift bag that was pretty beat up, thanks to being in Nicky's backpack. Putting it on the table she and Nicky both smiled at Edward.

"Happy Brother's Day," they both said, causing Edward to laugh and actually blush.

"You guys really didn't have to get me anything," he said picking up the bag.

"Uh huh, you help Ella take care of us," Sophie said with a smile.

"You deserve a day just like Bella," Nicholas told him. Edward smiled as he started to look into the gift bag. He pulled out five t-shirts, each related to one of his favorite comic books. He grinned like a little boy as he looked at the shirts. Next, he pulled out a Marvel Comic's coffee mug.

"The three of you are awesome, thank you. I'm drinking out of this mug today," he said still grinning. Sophie and Nicky laughed.

"Actually, that's just from them," I said digging into my purse and pulling out an envelope. "…this is from me," I told him placing the envelope on the table. He looked at me, smiling as he picked up the envelope.

"What did you get me?"

"Open it and find out," I replied. I watched him as he opened the envelope. The huge grin on his face let me know I picked the right gift.

"You got me tickets for when the Mariners play the Yankees?" he asked. I knew how much he loved the Yankees, and living here in Seattle meant he wouldn't get to see them play in person, as often as he used to when he lived in New York.

"To all six games—the three in July and the three in August," I told him. He dropped the envelope on the table and pulled me against him planting a kiss on my lips. Sophie and Nicky both groaned out an _eww_ causing Edward and I to laugh.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips.

"I love you, too," I replied. The waitress returned with our food and we talked as we ate.

Amazingly, all they seemed to ask us about was when Edward and I were going to get married, if we planned to move and a million other questions.

I could tell that Edward was slightly surprised at how easily they were accepting this, but I wasn't. They had already hinted to me they wanted this to happen.

After breakfast, we left for the cemetery and we all started to get just a little nervous. Of course we were just here in May, when we came to visit my mother's grave but we were still nervous about being here.

Edward held my hand as we walked over to their grave. Sophie and Nicky walked over to the tombstone and kneeled down in front of it. I looked up at Edward, who smiled down into my face.

"I'm here if you need me," he said. I nodded my head and then walked over to where Sophie and Nicky were kneeling. Kneeling down next to them I pulled out their letters from our father.

I explained to them as best I could about the letters, and why Charlie had written them. I also explained to them that when daddy wrote them, he thought mommy would still be alive. They seemed to understand. I asked who wanted me to read their letter first and Nicholas told me to read Sophie's.

Opening the letter I inhaled a deep breath and started to read the letter.

_Dear Baby girl,_

_I know you are probably confused and hurting. Mommy, probably already explained to you why I wrote this letter. I'm sorry I'm not there, baby girl but remember that daddy loves you. I know you'll be a good girl for your mom. Do well in school, and if you ever feel like you can't talk to your mom, you know you have Ella. Your big sister would do anything for you and your brother. I wish I could watch you grow up into a beautiful young woman, but now I get to watch over you like your guardian angel._

_Even though I'm gone Soph, you just remember that you still have mom, Ella and Nicky._

_Daddy loves you, baby girl._

That was the end of Sophie's letter. When I looked up at her she was smiling. She took the letter from my hand and looked at it.

"Daddy really wrote this to me?" she asked running her little fingers over it. I nodded my head.

"Yup. Nicky you ready for me to read yours?" I asked him. He nodded his head. I unfolded his letter next.

_Dear Nick,_

_This is all confusing for you buddy and I'm sorry I'm not there to help you understand. I know mommy told you what happened, and explained why I wrote this letter. I know it hurts that I'm gone, but you have your mom and sisters with you. I know you will grow up to be a great man, one even better than me. Your mom and Bella will protect you and Soph with everything in them, and know you can talk to them about anything. Maybe not any guy things, but you can talk to Uncle Billy or Uncle Jonathan. It's up to you man, to make sure whoever your sisters marry is worthy of them, give them Swan hell if they're not._

_I'm looking over you every step of the way. You'll be the best man to ever carry the Swan name. You be good to your mom and sisters._

_I love you, baby boy._

After I finished reading Nicholas' letter, I handed it to him. He looked at it and smiled. The three of us sat there quietly then they both looked up at me.

"Thanks for reading them to us," they both said. I kissed the top of both of their heads. I looked over at Edward who was still standing by the tree giving us this moment alone.

"I want to ask the two of you a question, and be honest with me, okay?" I said. They both nodded their heads.

"How do you feel about Edward and me getting married?"

"I think it's awesome," Sophie said

"Yeah, with him we're a family again," Nicky added.

"And we weren't a family before?" I asked him.

"We were, but Edward, he like, completes the family," Nicky answered.

"Like a missing puzzle piece," Sophie interjected with a smile. I smiled back at the two of them because they had somehow repeated what Charlie said in my dream.

"How are you two so smart?"

"Because we're Swans," they both answered making me laugh. I looked at my parents' gravestone reading it like I did every time I came.

_Charlie and Renee Swan. Beloved friends, family, but most of all beloved and amazing parents_, the tombstone read.

I remembered hearing Mrs. Weber saying she thinks the reason God took them together was because he knew they would only be half themselves if he hadn't.

If it was one thing I learned from my parents' death, it was that life was short and as my father said in my dream, it was promised to no one.

Thinking about that now I knew I was making the right choice marrying Edward. We were headed in that direction anyway, we both knew that much. While it would appear too early for others, it was a decision I had to make.

I couldn't resist thinking what if I told him we should wait, put the wedding off all because it seemed too soon, and then I lost him like I lost my parents? I would never forgive myself. If it was one thing I was sure about when it came to Edward, it was that I would never love anyone as much as I loved him.

I stood up and then walked over to Edward.

"Are you all right?" he asked as I reached him. I smiled nodding my head.

"Yes. I want you to come meet my parents," I told him. He grinned taking my hand as we walked over to the gravestones. Kneeling down I made the introduction as if he was actually meeting them.

It was weird but Edward said hello and even told them how much he loved the three of us and promising to take care of us.

Yes, I was definitely making the right choice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TDG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edward, the kids and I had just arrived at Esme and Carlisle's house after visiting our father's grave. We made Sophie and Nicky promise not to say anything about us getting married until we told everyone.

Of course, they didn't see what the big deal was, they were just excited.

Edward continued to try and reassure me that his family would be happy, but I was just so worried of them thinking I was using Edward.

Yes, I was marrying him because I loved him, but it would be no secret that we were only rushing into it because of the custody hearing.

"Relax, Bella, I promise they'll be happy," he whispered, holding my hand as we walked into his parents' backyard. I watched Sophie and Nicholas run over to Carlisle, wishing him a happy Father's Day. He hugged them both and the smile on his face was amazing.

"Happy Father's Day, Carlisle," I said with a nervous smile. I swear I was going to give us away. They would know something was up before we even got the chance to say anything.

"Thank you sweetheart, how are you today?" he asked with concern in his eyes. I knew he and Esme both worried how I would handle today.

"I'm good actually, I wasn't so much this morning, but I'm okay now," I answered. He smiled at me then pulled me into a hug.

"I would never want to replace your father, but I think of you like a daughter and I'm here for you, Bella," he whispered into my ear. I fought to hold in the tears his words brought to my eyes as I hugged him back.

"About time the four of you got here," I heard Esme say. I pulled out of Carlisle's hug and quickly wiped at my eyes.

"We made a stop back to my place, because I made potato salad. Edward said you both loved it at the birthday party so I thought I'd make some for the cookout," I said smiling at Esme. I would admit I made it to butter them up a little.

"Oh thank you, Bella, you really didn't have to, but this is very well appreciated," she said taking the bowl from Edward's hand.

"Uncle Eddie!" I heard Amelia yell as she ran out of the house. Edward smiled picking her up as she ran to him. I watched as he started to spin her around the yard.

"Hey Bella," Emmett said as he came out of the house. He stood next to me as we watched Edward play with the kids.

"Happy Father's Day," I told him with a smile. His large grin spread across his face showing off his two deep dimples.

"Thanks, I feel all fatherly. Lauren helped Amelia and EJ make my breakfast this morning," he said and I looked at him with a brow raised.

"Lauren was over again?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered rubbing some tension out of his neck.

"She's one of my best friends, Emmett and I don't know what's going on between you two, but I will hurt you if you hurt her, do you understand?" I asked and he smiled at me.

"Yeah, understood."

"Good. I know you have issues to deal with, but just know Lauren might be a tough girl on the outside, but her heart is huge and breakable. She seems to be really…taken with you and the kids. I just want to make sure she isn't getting into something messy like your situation with your wife," I continued.

"She told me you were going to probably say something to me," Emmett said and I smiled. Of course, she knew I would, because I knew she had given Edward her warning if he was to ever hurt me.

"I'm serious, Emmett, end one thing before you start something new."

"Would you have waited for Edward?"

"My and Edward's situation is completely different, but if we were in your shoes, yes I would have waited for him," I answered smiling at Edward when he winked over at me.

"Think Lauren will wait until I can close all the doors in L.A?"

"I don't know, but I do know she cares about you and your children, and having Lauren care about you is a privilege you better not ever take for granted."

"I'm really happy my brother has you, I mean that more than anything, Bella," Emmett said. I turned and looked up at him as we shared a smile.

"Daddy, your favorite child is finally here so your Father's Day can be perfect!" Alice yelled as she came into the backyard. We all laughed as she walked over giving Carlisle a hug.

Once the kids seemed occupied in the yard, Edward gave me that look saying it was time to tell everyone. I knew they had some other relatives arriving later and it made sense to tell, Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Emmett and Jasper before they did.

Nervously, I nodded my head at him.

"Mom, Dad, Bella and I wanted to tell you all something," Edward said as he walked over to me and took my hand into his. Everyone looked at us and my nerves were about to eat me alive.

"Is something wrong?" Esme asked worried, as she looked between the two of us.

"No, nothing like that," Edward answered, and I watched everyone sort of relax from his words.

"Okay, well then don't keep us in suspense son; what do you have to tell us?" Carlisle said with a smile on his face. Edward looked at me with that infectious smile as he said the words.

"Bella and I are getting married!" It was silent for the longest time, and I started to get worried until Esme and Alice screamed so loud the kids stopped playing, and Carlisle and Emmett pulled us into a hug. When Jasper hugged me he thanked me for coming into Edward's life.

"I was hoping I didn't have to wait much longer before we got to officially call you family!" Alice said when she hugged me. I laughed hugging her back.

"None of you are upset about this?" I asked looking at all of them. I expected them to tell us it was too soon, or maybe lash out that I was using him just for the custody hearing.

"Why in the world would we be upset? Bella, you are the best thing to happen to Edward. I could never be upset about something that brings my son joy," Esme answered, cupping my and Edward's face in her hands. I felt my cheeks flush.

"Yes, I've actually been recently having this conversation with Edward, wanting to know when he was going to make you my daughter-in-law," Carlisle added. I looked at Emmett for some reason feeling like he would have been upset, but he was smiling at us. I turned back to Esme and Carlisle.

"I just thought you all would think I was using him or something, I guess I was being silly," I said with a nervous laugh.

"Very silly, we know you would never do that, Bella. Even more importantly we know how much he loves you and you love him," Esme expressed, a genuine smile on her face.

"I told you," Edward whispered into my ear. I laughed leaning into his side. We all talked about what exactly brought up the nuptial and to say everyone was pissed would have been a completely understatement. Esme and Carlisle said they would call their own lawyer and Jasper called Jonathan right away to find out everything he knew.

"We are going to do everything we can to assure we don't lose them, Bella," Carlisle said to me. I smiled at him, thanking him.

"The three of you are our family, and we do everything possible to protect our family," Esme said with a smile on her face.

"Do you think your aunt has really been having you watched?" Emmett asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Possibly."

"I'll give Jonathan the number to the private investigator I used on Rosalie," Emmett said, causing everyone to look at him. I knew he had yet to tell Esme and Carlisle about the possibility of Amelia not being his.

"Is that how you found out?" Edward asked him.

"Yeah, go figure right," Emmett replied. I saw the confused look on Esme and Carlisle's face.

"Do you want me to conduct a DNA test?" Edward asked him. Emmett ran his fingers through his hair.

"What are you talking about?" Esme asked. Other people started to arrive into the backyard so Emmett suggested they go inside to talk. Edward placed a kiss on my forehead then said he was going to go talk with Emmett and his parents. I watched as they all went back into the house.

Alice and Jasper stayed in the yard to greet their family and friends that were arriving.

Every time Alice introduced me, she called me _Edward's Bella_. I swear the entire Cullen family, were the sweetest people on the planet.

"We could have a double wedding," Alice said sitting next to me. I turned to her with a brow raised.

"What?"

"A double wedding, it would be so amazing."

"Alice, no. I could never impose on your day like that," I told her. She flagged my comment, obviously ignoring me.

"You wouldn't be imposing on my day."

"That's your day, plus Edward and I already picked a date," I told her. I could tell she was about to try and talk me into it some more, but Edward came over pulling me into his arms.

"Is Emmett okay?" I asked looking up into his face.

"He will be. He doesn't know if he wants a DNA test done, but I told him I would do it if he wants it. Also, he's already talked to a divorce lawyer, and I'm going to fly back out to L.A. with him to tie up all of his loose ends," Edward explained. "I won't be gone long. We're going to go after we come back from camping in July," he told me. I could see that he was worried about my response to him going out of town, but his brother needed him and I understood that. Cupping his face in my hand, I smiled at him.

"You're an amazing man, Edward Cullen," I informed him. He grinned at me, and then placed a kiss on my lips.

"Emmett 'fucking' Cullen, you son of a bitch, how dare you freeze my accounts!" a woman yelled coming into the yard. I turned around in Edward's arms just as he and Alice muttered _Fucking great_.

"Rose, don't you dare show up at my parents' place starting your shit," Emmett yelled back as he walked over to her.

"I don't give a damn about your parents; how dare you freeze my accounts?" she asked again, standing directly in front of him now.

She was absolutely beautiful, I mean supermodel beautiful, but with the ugliest attitude, much like Carmen.

"Can we talk about this later, as in, not in front of the kids," Emmett said just as EJ and Amelia walked over to them. Amelia called to her mother, reaching to hug her and I actually watched Rose step away as if Amelia had an infectious disease.

"No! I want to talk about this now."

"Well, we're not talking about it now," Emmett replied, taking the kids hands and turning to walk away from her. Rose shoved him hard against his back.

"Don't you turn your back on me!" she shouted shoving him again. Emmett's face was starting to turn red now. He looked like he was about to flip at any moment. Edward released me from his arms and started to walk over to them.

I called to Sophie and Nicky pulling them to my side to assure they weren't in the way. Alice walked over taking Amelia into her arms just as Edward picked up EJ.

"You need to leave, Rosalie," Alice said to her.

"Or what? Are you going to give me that ass kicking, you called threatening me with?" Rose snapped back.

"Don't tempt me," Alice retorted.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Esme asked coming out of the house finally.

"Oh momma Cullen, you're not happy to see me?" Rose sneered.

"You better leave my home right now, or so help me god, I will bury your gold -digging, two- timing ass," Esme snapped with her finger aimed at Rosalie, as she stormed over to her with Carlisle trying to hold her back.

Rose inhaled a deep breath and looked at Emmett.

"Carmen told me you Cullen men didn't have a fucking backbone. I should have just listened to her," Rose said glaring at him. Then she looked over at Edward.

"Is it true you're a cradle robber now, Edward? Carmen and I talk you know, I heard about what you did to her," she continued. I inhaled a deep breath and told Sophie and Nicholas to go into the house.

Of course, they tried arguing with me about it, but I had a feeling Rosalie was going to say something I didn't want either of them to hear.

"I don't give a damn if you and Carmen talk, I also don't give a damn what she told you."

"You should, she's planning to cause hell for you and your little girlfriend, nothing like a woman scorned. Emmett, you keep that in mind, we have children, so the hell I can cause for you will be ten times worse," she replied, then walked out of the yard.

It was then I noticed Amelia and EJ were crying. Emmett inhaled a deep breath then took them both from Edward and Alice, and walked back into the house ignoring what Esme and Carlisle were trying to say to him.

Jasper went to Alice pulling her into his arms. I don't know what he asked her but she nodded her head in response. Edward walked over to me, pulling at his hair.

"I can't fucking stand that woman," he sneered, anger practically dripping from each word. I pushed my fingers into his hair, scratching at his scalp. I wanted him to relax.

"Forget about her."

"And I'll fucking kill Carmen, if she thinks I'll let her harm you in any way," he snapped. I tugged on his hair trying to get his attention.

"Forget the both of them."

"Some Father's Day, uh?" he asked. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I smiled up at him.

"It wasn't the most ideal, but then again it wasn't to start with. We have each other and that's what matters. We'll all help Emmett as best we can and Carmen can try until she's blue in the face, but I'm not letting you go," I informed him.

"If she tries to cause any trouble…"

"…we will deal with her together. We're in this together," I said repeating his words from this morning.

Life was complicated, but running wasn't going to make it any easier. Together, I knew that Edward and I would overcome it all, and in the process we were going to help Emmett do the same.

We were family, and we were in this together.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	23. More Than My Own Life

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_More than my own life_**

**_Chapter 23_**

Chewing on my lip, I continued to watch Edward out of the kitchen window. He was cutting the grass despite me telling him he didn't have to. I mean, who seriously wanted to cut the grass on their birthday?

But I knew the real reason he was so determined to get it done today.

Yesterday, we spent practically the entire day cleaning the house and he wanted to make sure the outside looked just as great.

We were meeting the new caseworker today—Victoria Stone. I didn't know what to expect from her and I was really hoping she wasn't going to be a hard ass.

She called and introduced herself to me on Monday. When I asked her why Emily was no longer my caseworker, she explained that Emily had some personal business to take care of.

Of course I knew why Emily was no longer my caseworker, but Victoria didn't need to know that. Emily and Jonathan warned me to act as if I didn't know anything about it. They also said to act as if I hadn't spoken to Emily about any of this mess concerning Robyn.

Jonathan was meeting with the Judge and Robyn's attorney today, so I was waiting for him to call. I looked back out the window just in time to see that Edward looked back at me. He smiled and then winked my way.

I blew a kiss at him and he grinned. I will admit watching him cutting the grass with no shirt on was very entertaining. I know I've seen him with nothing on, but this was just as exciting.

I tried to focus back on making breakfast, but a woman approaching Edward caught my attention. I remembered her—it was Jane Pittman; she lived up the street from us. When my parents were alive she used to hit on my father all the time; my mom almost slapped the hell out of her one day.

After my parents died, the woman never spoke to us, and I had a feeling that the only reason she was speaking today was because Edward was half naked and mowing my lawn.

I watched them closely. Edward ran his fingers through his hair, and then crossed his arms over his chest. I knew this as a sign of him being uncomfortable.

I poured his coffee into the coffee mug Sophie and Nicky got him for Father's Day and then walked outside to take it to him.

"Here you go, Baby," I said approaching him. He turned to me, a smile spreading on his gorgeous face.

"Thank you, Baby," he replied, taking the cup from my hand and placing a kiss on my lips. Jane cleared her throat and we both looked over at her.

"Little Bella?" she asked with a fake smile on her face. I shifted, hating being called that.

"Hello, Ms. Pittman."

"Wow, aren't you all grown up now," she said, eyeing me then Edward again. I cleared my throat this time and she gave me a smirk.

"People do grow up, at least some of us do," I retorted getting irritated with the way she was eyeing him.

"I was just talking to your…friend?" she said, obviously fishing for information. I swear I didn't understand this woman, first my father, now Edward.

"Actually, Bella's my fiancée," Edward said with that infectious grin on his face. He absolutely loved telling people that.

"Fiancée?" she asked, sizing me up as if I wasn't good enough for him. "And here I took you for a man looking for a real woman," she remarked, as if I wasn't still standing here.

I didn't understand, was it because I was young and people like her thought they could just disrespect me?

"I have a real woman, right here," Edward said wrapping his arm around my waist. "I tend to stay away from the scavengers who think they are real women," he added. I smirked at his remark. She cleared her throat obviously offended by Edward's words.

"I just came by to say hello; it's nice to see how you've grown up from that little girl, Bella."

"It's nice to see you haven't changed, Ms. Pittman," I replied back, knowing she would know just what I was referring to.

She looked between the two of us then said she had to finish her run. We both watched as she ran off and then laughed.

"That woman gets on my nerves," I said shaking my head.

"I was afraid she was going to attack me right here in the yard," Edward replied taking a sip from his coffee mug.

"She used to hit on my dad when he would cut the grass, drove my mother crazy," I said causing Edward to laugh some more.

"Thank you for coming out here and saving me."

"Of course, I couldn't allow another woman to eye what belongs to me," I told him. He pulled me tighter against him, bringing his mouth so close to mine I could taste him.

"Belongs to you?"

"Yes, I thought I made that very clear last night," I replied. He grinned, rubbing his nose against mine. Last night I gave Edward a taste of what he would be getting for his birthday.

The real gift I had for him though, he wasn't getting until Saturday after our engagement party. Esme was determined to give us an engagement party. She didn't actually tell us about it until last night. Esme Cullen was one sneaky woman, I'll tell you that much.

Now, even though today was his birthday, I wouldn't be able to give him his real surprise until then. I had just a few more things I needed to get.

"Last night, you spoiled me."

"You do know there is much more of that to come, don't you?"

"Aw, fuck me."

"Oh, I plan to Dr. Cullen, just as soon as we're alone tonight," I teased running my fingers through his hair. Quickly, he devoured my mouth pressing his body into mine. I knew some nosy neighbor was probably watching us, but I couldn't make myself care.

"That caseworker better be on time…" he mumbled as his hands moved over my body. I laughed against his lips.

"We still have to get through dinner with your parents," I reminded him. He groaned like a spoiled brat.

"After dinner, I get you all to myself though, right?"

"Yes. Just me and you and my bag of toys and tricks," I replied. He palmed my ass pressing me against him, his erection pushing back against my stomach.

"Hmm, I can't wait, Kitty," he replied. I placed one last kiss on his lips.

"You have to wait. Now finish cutting the grass. I have to go finish making breakfast."

"Yes, dear," he teased. I took his coffee mug and went back into the house. I finished making breakfast just as he came into the kitchen.

"Smells good in here, Kitty."

"I made your favorite—strawberry pancakes," I said smiling at him. He grinned, walking over to me and planting a kiss on my forehead.

"Thank you. Has Jonathan called yet?"

"No, I think he's still meeting with the Judge now," I replied, placing everything on the kitchen island.

"Is Alice still trying to talk you into a double wedding?" Edward asked, standing next to me and trying to pick at the food. I popped his hand away, smirking at him.

It was an appealing idea to have a double wedding, but I just felt like I would have been imposing on her wedding day. She had already put in so much work planning it. I would feel horrible if she had to change one single detail just because of me.

"She's still trying, but I think she'll give up soon," I answered and he laughed.

"Have you met my sister?"

"True, but I'm much more stubborn than she is," I giggled.

"This is very true," he replied making me laugh. I smiled taking in his bare chest. I could look at him for days and never get bored.

"Like what you see?"

"Of course I do…"

"Take a shower with me?"

"A shower?"

"Yes, it's my birthday, you can't tell me _no_," he said with a boyish grin on his face. I laughed just as we heard the kids upstairs. We both groaned knowing I wouldn't be taking a shower with him now.

"I guess I should go shower before the caseworker arrives, huh?" he asked. I nodded my head and started chewing on my lip.

"What do you think she will be like?" I asked nervously. Edward looked down into my face.

"Are you nervous?"

"A little bit. With Emily I knew what to expect."

"She'll see that you're amazing," he answered. I released a long deep breath just wanting the stress of this situation to go away. Edward cupped my face in his hand, his thumb massaging my cheek.

"She will see how amazing you are, Bella. Don't stress yourself about this," he cautioned.

"Easier said than done, I just wish I could relax."

"I know, but remember that's what I'm here for. Let me carry some of this burden; remember it's not just the three of you anymore."

I smiled at him. "I know, thank you," I replied. He placed a kiss on my forehead then my lips and told me he was going to head upstairs and take his shower.

I knew the moment he was upstairs because Sophie and Nicky started screaming happy birthday to him. I laughed listening to them sing to him.

I started to set the table just as the house phone rang. Quickly, I went to answer it and saw that it was Jonathan.

"Hello."

"Hey, Cinderella. I know you are going to meet with the new caseworker today. I just called to let you know how everything went with the Judge today," he said, and I sat down on the kitchen stool feeling nervous.

"First, you should know he's not falling for Robyn's garbage. As a fair Judge, he's taking the petition into consideration like I knew he would, but he hinted that he likes you for this, Bella. He's also really happy to hear about your new engagement," Jonathan said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. The smile that spread on my face reflected the calm that entered my body from his words.

"That's really good to hear; has he said why he was being so hard on me?"

"No, but you should know that already your engagement to Edward has some merit in this case."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you know Jasper's father is a Judge?"

"Um... no."

"Well apparently, Jasper had his father talk highly of Edward to Judge King while they were playing golf on Father's Day. He said they talked about how Edward has been a great friend to Jasper, and how much of a good guy he knew he was. So when I came in today and told him that you were engaged to said Edward Cullen, he was very pleased to hear it. He was so pleased that he said this is no longer a case of you against the State, but now just a case between you and Robyn. He said he has enough facts to know both of you would be a better choice than the State."

"Oh my god…that's great news. So I don't have to fight for custody against the State anymore?"

"Nope, now you just have to prove that you are a better choice than Robyn. The official hearing will be in February."

"Isn't that just perfect," I snapped sarcastically remembering when the hearing was in November.

"Actually it is, Bella; it gives us time to prove that Robyn is unfit and is only doing this for the money."

"You don't think that will be difficult to prove? I'm sure Robyn and her lawyer have crossed all their _t's_ and dotted all their _i's_."

"It won't be an easy task, but Robyn is a snake. I know she missed something and Jasper, Sam and I will find it," he said, referring to the private investigator Edward hired. "You just do what you do best, Cinderella and make that caseworker fall in love with you like everyone else does," he continued.

"I wouldn't say everyone falls in love with me, Jonathan…"

"They do once they get to know what an amazing young woman you are," he replied. I smiled with a roll of my eyes.

"I'll call you once she leaves."

"Okay, I don't have to ask if Edward is there, do I?"

"You know he's here."

"Good man you have there, Cinderella."

"Yeah I know," I replied. I told him again that I would call him back just as Sophie and Nicky came into the kitchen. Edward came back down a moment later and we all sat down to have breakfast.

"Remember you two, we meet the new caseworker today. So please be on your best behaviors," I said, pointing at the two of them.

"I thought Ms. Emily was our caseworker?" Sophie asked.

"She has something personal she has to take care of, but the new caseworker's name is Ms. Victoria," I answered. Nicholas scrunched up his nose.

"She sounds mean," he said. I saw the grin on Edward's face.

"I'm sure she's nice," I replied, kicking Edward under the table. We sat there all eating when Nicholas pointedly asked a question.

"Can we spend the night at Nana and Pop Pop's house?" It was going to seriously take some getting used to hearing them call Esme and Carlisle this. Father's Day night before we left their house, Sophie and Nicky asked them if they could call them Nana and Pop Pop.

Of course they said yes. Esme was practically in tears.

"I thought you wanted to stay at Uncle Emmett's," I said, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"He snores too loud, plus that mean lady might show up again," he said. I looked over at Edward and saw his nose flare. Rose had been causing hell for Emmett trying to get him to unfreeze her accounts.

"I'm sure Nana and Pop Pop would love to have the two of you over for the night," Edward said, causing the two of them to smile.

"Did the two of you pull out your outfits for dinner tonight?" I asked them. We were all having dinner at Esme and Carlisle house for Edward's birthday.

Little did Edward know, it was a surprise party with all of his friends and family. Esme said she started to plan it back in April, and that she knew he wasn't going to be happy she went through all the trouble, but she wanted to celebrate having her son back. She said it was his first birthday he was actually happy in a long time, and she wanted to celebrate that more than anything.

"Do we really have to dress up?" Nicholas whined making us laugh.

"Nana said so," Sophie reminded him. He groaned shrugging his shoulders.

"Fine, but I want brownies," he retorted.

"I'm sure that could be arranged," Edward replied. I swear Esme gave them so many sweets they were bound to have cavities when I took them to the dentist.

We finished breakfast and Edward said he would clean up while we all went to change out of our pajamas. I put on a pair of skinny jeans, a Minnie mouse t-shirt and red converses. I didn't want to wear anything I didn't normally wear, and I wanted to be comfortable.

The doorbell rang and my heart practically jumped into my throat. I blew out a long, nervous breath, as I headed downstairs telling Sophie and Nicky to hurry up and finish getting dressed.  
I reached the bottom of the steps just as Edward reached the front door. He looked back at me.

"You okay?"

"I will be when this is over," I answered. He held his hand out for mine. Placing my hand in his we went to answer the door.

Edward opened the door and a red-haired, middle-aged woman stood on the porch. She smiled at us.

"Is this the home of Isabella Swan?" she asked. I nodded my head.

"That's me, you can call me Bella," I said holding out my hand to shake hers. She smiled taking my hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Emily told me some wonderful things about you," she said as she came into the house.

"That's good to know. This is my fiancé, Edward Cullen," I said introducing her to him. She smiled holding her hand out.

"It's nice to meet you; the file didn't say you were engaged," she said looking at me.

"We just got engaged," Edward said with that gorgeous smile of his. She smiled back nodding her head.

"So, shall we sit and talk," she inquired looking at me.

"Yeah, yes, um... right this way," I replied directing her toward the living room. She walked in first and I went to follow behind her when Edward pulled me back to his side.

"Do you realize that is the first time you called me your fiancé?" he asked. I giggled smiling up at him.

"I like the sound of it, though I'll probably enjoy calling you my husband more," I responded causing him to grin.

We walked into the living room and I watched as she seemed to look around at the pictures.

"Are the children here?" she asked, not turning around to look at us.

"Yes, they're upstairs getting dressed," I answered.

"I'll go get them," Edward said before placing a kiss on my temple and then walking out of the living room. Victoria smiled at me as she took a seat in the living room chair. I sat down on the couch trying to relax my nerves.

"I've looked over your case file, and I am sorry you lost your parents, and even sorrier for how you lost them."

"Thank you," I said not sure what else to say.

"Were your sister and brother present the night of the invasion?"

"Yes."

"Did they see?" she asked. I inhaled a deep breath really wanting to get off of this topic.

"Yes, but they don't like to talk about it," I told her, giving her a warning look. If she even tried to get them to re-live that night I would toss her out on her ass.

"Understood," she replied with a nod of her head. "Did you take them to see a therapist?" she questioned.

"Yes. They felt comfortable talking with our family lawyer Jonathan, he's a practicing psychologist as well," I replied. She nodded her head and wrote something down in her little notepad.

"Are you aware that your mother's sister is filing a petition for custody of the children?"

"Yes, I spoke to my lawyer earlier today," I answered shifting in my seat.

"Good, so I will ask you the same question I asked her. Why do you want the children?" she asked.

"Because I love them, and this is where they belong. I understand that the State and the Judge's concern is that I'm young, but I've taken care of them this long. I know them better than anyone; I know _how_ to take care of them. From day one I wanted them to stay with me, for us to stay together because it is what my parents would have wanted," I answered, feeling like I was already on the brink of tears.

Victoria smiled with a nod of her head and wrote in her notepad again. Edward came in with Sophie and Nicky at his side.

"Soph, Nicky, this is Ms. Victoria, the new caseworker," Edward said getting our attention. I turned around to see that they were both practically molded to Edward's side.

"Victoria, this is Sophie and Nicholas," he introduced.

"Hello, it's nice to meet both of you," she said with a smile in her voice. They both waved at her. They walked further into the living room and sat down next to me. Edward sat on the other end so that they were between us.

"Do the two of you know why I'm here?" Victoria asked looking at them.

"To see if Ella takes good care of us," Sophie answered leaning into my side.

"Ella?" Victoria asked confusion on her face.

"She's talking about Bella, and she does take really good care of us. Just like our mommy and daddy used to," Nicholas answered glaring at Victoria.

"That's good to hear," Victoria replied.

"But, you don't believe us, you people never listen," Sophie said, and I whispered to her to watch how she talked to Victoria because she was an adult.

"Everyone just wants to make sure you are with the person who could take care of you best," Victoria tried to explain.

"Bella does, and Edward, too," Nicholas replied. Victoria nodded her head and sat back against the seat. She didn't say anything for a while, then she looked over at us.

"It says here Nicholas has severe asthma, how is he doing with that?" she asked.

"I'm doing good; Edward helps me with breathing exercises and treatments," Nicholas answered. I knew he was much like me, he didn't like when people talked about him as if he wasn't in the room.

"Did your doctor give you those exercises to try?"

"I did. I'm a pediatrician and I work at the same office as Nicholas' pediatrician," Edward answered. Victoria nodded her head writing in her notepad again.

"That's good, having a doctor available. When was your last asthma attack, Nicholas?" she asked. He looked over at me, silently asking if he should tell her. I nodded my head and he looked back at her.

"When I was in the hospital, but Edward and Bella help me alot. I haven't even had to use my asthma pump once since then," he answered, with a smile of pride on his face. Between the exercises Edward showed him, and the once-a-week treatment, he hasn't had to use his asthma pump.

His panic attacks even seemed to go away.

Victoria asked Sophie and Nicholas a few more questions and then we gave her a tour of the house. After the tour, I told Sophie and Nicky that they could stay upstairs in their rooms while Edward and I finished talking with Victoria.

"The children appear happy and healthy. The house meets all the requirements and then some. Why hasn't the Judge awarded you legal custody yet?" she asked as we walked back into the living room. I couldn't resist the nervous laugh that slipped from my lips.

"I've been asking that very same question," Edward replied.

"I think he just got power happy. Judges have so much power, sometimes they get carried away," she said as we all sat down. She looked through her notepad before looking up at us again.

"Edward, are you ready to take on the responsibility of two kids, _if_ Bella is to win custody?" she asked him. I didn't like the way she said if, as if she doubted I would win. I chewed on my lip as I looked over at him.

"Of course, I love Sophie and Nicky as if they were my own. _When_, _we _win custody of them, it will be one of the best days of my life," he answered, and I smiled at the way he said _When we_.

"What of Sophia and Nicholas when the two of you decide you are ready to have your own children? It has been known that when some parents adopt and then have their own children, they begin to treat the adopted children differently," she stated, and I watched Edward's jaw go tight.

"We will still love them just as much as we do now; that won't change," I answered not liking what she was implying. She wrote in her little notepad again and I was seriously starting to get annoyed by that.

"When are the two of you getting married?"

"August 13," Edward and I answered at the same time.

"Oh, before the custody hearing, so then you plan to take legal responsibility for the children also, Edward?" she asked as if she was surprised.

"Of course, as I said before I love Sophie and Nicky as if they were my own," he answered, with irritation in his voice. I rubbed his thigh as I looked at Victoria.

"Is that a problem?" I asked her.

"Well no, it's just that if the two of you get married before the custody hearing, it means that he has to be investigated as well, meaning it would be like starting all over again," she explained. That sounded like straight bull shit, and I was starting to feel like she wanted me to let my guard down for some reason.

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm pretty sure the Judge won't be against her getting married, or her having additional help when it comes to raising the kids," Edward asked, looking like he was about ready to curse Victoria out.

"What I mean, is alone, the Judge already thinks you are doing a great job, adding another player means that he has to take them into account also. You would have to be looked at as a couple instead of individually. I just think maybe holding off the wedding would be…"

"…look I know you're just trying to _help_, but if the Judge thought I was doing as great as you keep trying to make it seem, wouldn't he have already made his decision? Also, Robyn is a new _player _in all of this, so we already have to start all over again, don't we?" I snapped. She looked caught off guard as she looked at me.

"My lawyer has already spoken to the Judge about my engagement, and from what I hear, he's very happy for me," I continued. She inhaled a deep breath and lifted her head up.

"That's great news; um... I guess I'll see you in a month for the monthly check-in."

"Yeah, we'll see you then," I replied standing up so that I could show her out. She stood up and smiled over at Edward.

"It was nice meeting you," she said politely. Edward didn't reply he just gave her a forced smirk. We walked her out, and the moment I shut the door I pressed my back against the door happy that was over.

"I don't trust her," Edward said. I looked up at him, thankful he felt like something was up with her, too.

"I felt like she was trying to get me to let my guard down."

"Yeah, I know. I'll talk to Jon and Jasper about looking into her."

"Do you think she's working for Robyn?" I asked with worry in my voice. Edward cupped my face in his hand.

"If she is, we'll find out and expose all of them as the money hungry bastards they are. We are never losing Sophie and Nicky," he told me. I smiled at him because even though we both didn't know that, it felt so damn good to hear.

"Robyn wants more than just the property; there is no way she's doing all of this just for the property," I told him. He pulled me against his chest and I listened to his heartbeat.

"I agree, and that is why we have Jasper, Jonathan and now thanks to Emmett, the Private Investigator to figure out what the hell she is up to."

"Ugh, can we forget about all of this for the rest of the day and stay in our blissful bubble?" I asked with a pout. He leaned away from me, smiling down into my face.

"Whatever my Kitty wants, my Kitty gets," he replied.

"Good, because what I really want right now is for you to kiss me."

"Done," he replied lowering his lips to mine and devouring my mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TDG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking into the mirror I looked at the outfit I decided to wear. It was a light blue and white, knee-length, summer dress. I wasn't usually a fan to wearing blue, but I knew it was Edward's favorite color.

It didn't hurt that the dress was very cute as well.

I wore a pair of white pumps to match both the white stripes in the skirt of the dress and on my purse.

I wasn't a shoe fanatic like most people, but I did enjoy a nice pair of shoes every once in a while.

Honestly, heels were almost all I wore in college.

"You look beautiful," I heard Edward say from behind me. I turned around to see him standing in the doorway of my bedroom.

"So do you?" I replied causing him to grin at me.

"By any chance are you wearing that blue for me?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," I teased walking over to him. I slipped my arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Have I told you Happy Birthday today?"

"Hmm, you told me midnight last night in the shower, then again just before we went to bed and you let me enjoy my favorite delicacy," he said referring to when he devoured my pussy to the point I had to hold a pillow over my face. "Oh, and don't let me forget again this morning when you woke me up," he answered, and I blushed remembering that I woke him up with his cock in my mouth.

I was very insatiable when it came to Edward.

"I have to tell you again."

"And how will you be telling me this time?" he asked, knowing that the next time I told him Happy Birthday, he would be receiving another sexual favor.

"That's for me to know, and for you to wait and find out," I teased.

"We're ready!" Sophie yelled from downstairs. We grabbed everything we were taking with us and left for Esme and Carlisle's house.

We arrived and there wasn't a car in sight, but I knew that everyone was already here. Edward parked in the driveway and we all climbed out of the car.

"You know, I still don't get why my mom wanted us to dress up just to have dinner at her place," Edward grumbled.

"Because it's your birthday, and are you telling me you aren't enjoying seeing me in this dress and these shoes?" I asked. He grinned taking me in again as we walked up to the front door.

"You do have a point there, Kitty," he replied making me blush. Edward used his key unlocking his parents' door like he always did, and the minute we stepped in, everyone shouted "Surprise."

"Shit, you all scared the hell out of me!" Edward shouted making everyone laugh, and Esme popped his arm for cursing while there were children in the room.

One by one, everyone walked over wishing Edward a Happy Birthday. I watched the smile on his face when he saw that there were some relatives he hadn't seen in awhile.

"Baby, come here, I want you to meet my grandparents," Edward said calling to me. Nervously, I walked over to him, slipping into his arms.

"Mama, Papa, this is my fiancée, Isabella. Baby, this is my mother's parents, Masen and Ruth Platt," Edward introduced. I smiled at the two of them; I knew these were Edward's only living grandparents. Carlisle's parents died a few years back but left everything to Edward, Emmett, Alice and Carlisle.

"It's really nice to meet you both," I said nervously. Edward's arms tightened around me as if to tell me to relax.

"It is so nice to finally meet you dear, our daughter hasn't stopped talking about the pretty woman our Edward fell in love with," his grandmother said. I blushed fiercely from her words.

"She is a looker, Edward. If I was just a few years younger I could give you a run for your money," his grandfather said, and Ruth laughed playfully swatting his arm.

"Behave, Masen," she warned and he smiled at her. "I'm only teasing. It is wonderful to meet you, Isabella. We've heard a lot about you, welcome to the family," he replied.

The more of Edward's family I met, the more I tried to figure out how I ended up with greedy, selfish bastards as my blood relatives. The Cullens and Platts were the sweetest people in the world.

No one even mentioned Carmen, or that he just got divorced when he would introduce me as his fiancée, they would all just smile and welcome me to the family.

Each of them seemed to fall in love with Sophie and Nicky, which didn't surprise me at all. If it was one thing I knew, it was that my sister and brother could charm the pants off of anyone and everyone.

It was rather interesting to see Emmett and Lauren try to explain their relationship when everyone could see that it was much more than a friendship blossoming between the two of them.

"How long have you known my mom was giving me a surprise party?" Edward whispered into my ear as he came up behind me.

"For a while now."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it would have ruined the surprise," I answered as I felt his arms slip around my waist. He placed a kiss on my shoulder blade just as Angela and Seth walked over to us.

"Did the two of you come together?" I asked with a brow raised.

"Yeah, saving gas," Angela replied, us both knowing that was far from the reason they rode here together.

"Is that the lie you're telling everyone?" Edward asked and Angela glared at him.

"Oh, shut it old man. That's why I got you the little blue pill for your birthday, want to make sure you can keep up with your pretty young thing," Angela joked quietly, so only we heard her. Seth, Edward and I all laughed.

"You keep that pill for Seth, Angela. Edward doesn't need it, I'm his little blue pill," I tossed back making all of them laugh even harder.

"Damn straight you are, Baby," Edward said pulling me tighter against his body and pressing a kiss on the curve of my neck.

"Is that why you're wearing that dress tonight," Seth joked and I laughed with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Seth doesn't need it either, maybe we could give it to Emmett. With a woman like Lauren, he's going to need all the stamina he can get once they get down and dirty," Angela joked, and we all laughed so hard it caused people to look over at us.

"What the hell are the four of you laughing at?" Lauren asked coming over to us. We all looked at her then burst into laughter again.

"Lauren, have you and my brother stopped trying to resist the inevitable?" Edward inquired making us laugh again.

"Ugh... why do I tolerate any of you," she said running her fingers through her hair.

"Because we're the only ones who will tolerate you," I replied back with a grin. She laughed shrugging her shoulders.

"That's definitely true," she replied. Esme eventually called everyone to dinner and how she turned her dining room into this grand dining room was beyond me.

Everyone took their seats and soon dinner was served. The conversation at the table was so light, and cheerful. Everyone seemed to want to genuinely get to know the woman who had stolen Edward's heart.

When dessert was served, I got really excited when I saw it was chocolate cake with ice cream. After red velvet cake, this was my second favorite.

I was listening to some story Edward's uncle was telling when I suddenly felt Edward's hand on my thigh under the table.

I looked over at him but his face showed no expression, he just continued talking with Emmett about something they did as teenagers.

Slowly, his fingers slipped between my thighs and I inhaled a deep breath when his finger brushed over my lace covered clit.

"Bella, have you decided what school you're going to attend when you go back?" I heard Carlisle ask. I looked up so fast I made myself dizzy.

"Um, no. I haven't decided yet," I answered, just as Edward pressed harder on my clit. Carlisle started telling me what schools he thought would be good for me but I couldn't focus on a damn thing he was saying.

Edward pried my legs open a little more and slipped his hand into my panties. Teasing me repeatedly all while never revealing on his face what his hand was doing under the table.

I swear it felt like everyone wanted to have a conversation with me now. The most I got from the conversation was that they were asking me about my parents, I think. Edward seemed to answer those questions. When his finger slipped inside of me, I dropped my fork on the floor causing everyone to look at me.

"Are you all right, Bella?" Esme asked, just as Edward slipped his hand from between my thighs.

"Yes, I'm fine," I practically squealed, and I saw out the corner of my eye as Edward tried to hide his grin under his napkin.

"You look flushed, Bella are you not feeling well?" Carlisle asked with concern.

"I just need to use the little girl's room," I lied, pushing my chair away from the table. I stood up from the table and headed for the bathroom. I heard Esme tell Edward to go check on me. As I started to walk into the bathroom I felt Edward behind me.

He pushed me into the bathroom and locked the door behind us. Quickly, he turned me and devoured my lips before I even had a chance to speak.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pushed my fingers into his hair and deepened our kiss. He pressed me into him and I could feel his erection.

He released my lips and started to suck on my neck.

"That was so damn embarrassing," I mumbled as his hands started to slip under my dress. I knew he would know what I was referring to.

"I had to touch you, you were driving me crazy with your little moans while you ate that damn cake," he growled against my skin.

"I was moaning?"

"God yes," he said picking me up and placing me on the edge of the sink. "Kitty, I need you right now," he whispered kissing over my jaw and then my mouth again. I tried to continue to think clearly. I could hear everyone in the distance but the rest of me didn't seem to care.

"Happy Birthday," I said with a grin. I knew he would know that was me agreeing. His fingers wrapped around my underwear and he quickly yanked them from my body.

It hurt but was hot all at the same time.

"You have to keep quiet," he told me, placing my ripped panties into his pocket. I nodded my head as I started to undo his pants. I freed his cock from their confinements and placed him against my opening. Just feeling the tip of his cock there was driving me crazy.

"If you have to scream, bite down on my shoulder," he informed. I nodded my head as he started to enter me. Moaning softly from the instant pleasure I felt.

He pushed all the way into me until my walls were fully wrapped around him. I locked my legs around his waist as he started to move inside of me.

His strokes, slow at first, as he told me how good I felt around him. I started to kiss him passionately as my fingers fisted his hair.

"Hold on to me," he said just before picking me up from the edge of the sink. Holding me around with my legs locked around his waist, Edward started to pound up into me faster and faster. My moans were coming out faster, much louder than before.

I held him tighter, biting down on his shoulder like he said as he lifted and dropped me over his cock repeatedly. Drilling into me as if we were in a race to see who would finish first. I could already feel my insides starting to tighten up, my orgasm creeping up my spine as pounded up into me.

It didn't take me long to cum around him, growling my name he turned pressing my back against the door. Holding me to him he continued his sinful strokes into my body, and I was so thankful that it seemed pretty loud in the dining room because Edward started getting louder as he stroked me faster.

"Oh goodness, baby, you have to be quiet," I told him trying to focus to think clearly. He was making that damn near impossible. With my back against the door, my legs locked around his, and my hand braced on the wall, I used all the muscle power I could muster to lift myself and roll, rock and drop my hips over him.

"Fuck, that felt so good, Kitty," he moaned placing kisses on my neck. I knew if I left this up to him we would be in this bathroom the rest of the night.

"Sit on the toilet," I ordered. He didn't ask questions, not that I thought he would. He absolutely loved me on top. He sat down and I stood up feeling him slip from my body. He groaned in protest. I turned around so my back was to him, gripped his cock in my hand and lowered myself around him.

We both moaned in response as he filled me completely. I braced my hands on his thighs and started to bounce over him as quickly as he was drilling into me only a moment ago.

I heard women complain about sex for years, which was why I never saw the big deal in losing my virginity, but obviously those women had never been with a man like Edward.

I could never imagine sex, being better than it was, then when I was with him.

Faster I rode him, digging my nails into his thighs. His arm wrapped around me and he started to tease my clit again. Pulling and massaging it, causing my body to start quivering. I fell back against his chest as I rolled my hips, lifting and dropping around him over and over again.

Louder we both became. I eventually had to snatch my ripped underwear up from his pocket and stuff them into his mouth. He took that as his sign to pummel up into me, covering my mouth to muffle my moans of pleasure.

When we both came, we growled trying not to scream, his arms holding me tightly, while my nails dug deeper into his thighs.

Once I felt like I could possibly walk I got up from his lap and tried fixing my dress. Edward grinned up at me placing himself back in his pants.

"Best birthday ever," he said causing me to giggle.

"Happy I could oblige you," I replied with seductive grin. He took my hand pulling me back into his lap and placing a scorching kiss on my lips.

We left the bathroom and slipped back into the dining room. All eyes were on us as we sat down.

"Bella," Angela called to me. I turned to her and she pointed to my neck and directed for me to pull my hair over my shoulder. I turned about four shades of red as I swung my hair to cover the hickey Edward had obviously left on my neck.

"There's another one on the other side," Lauren pointed out and everyone at the table started to laugh. Of course, everyone thought this was funny. I was meeting the rest of my future in-laws tonight and my best friends wanted to point out my hickey's.

"Young love is beautiful, isn't it, Masen?" Edward's grandmother asked her husband.

"Oh yeah, at least they were quieter, unlike another young couple we know," he replied eyeing Jasper and Alice. I choked on air while everyone laughed, and like that the night continued.

Everyone was joking, laughing and talking together. I had never felt more comfortable around a group of people in my life.

"Have I told you, I love you more than my own life," Edward whispered to me while we were standing out back watching the kids play.

"I think so, but I can't remember," I teased. He turned me around so that I was facing him and the look in his eyes was so intense. He didn't have to say it again; I could see it so clearly in his eyes.

"I love you, more than my own life, too," I informed him. He lowered his head to mine kissing me deeply. He pulled my lip into his mouth, as he pulled me tighter against his body.

"Hey, there are children here!" we heard Emmett yell. We pulled apart laughing as everyone smiled over at us.

"Edward, come play with us," Sophie said waving him over. He placed a kiss on my forehead and then went to play with Sophie and Nicholas.

Smiling, I stood on the back porch and watched the three people I knew I loved more than my own life.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	24. Our Engagement

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Our Engagement_**

**_Chapter 24_**

All of us ladies were out getting our feet and nails done for Edward and my engagement party tonight. All the men took an all guy/kids-only trip to Dave and Busters for Edward's birthday, since they didn't get the chance to do it on Edward's actual birthday.

Kicking my feet around in the water I listen to Esme and Kathleen; see I was getting better at not calling her Mrs. Weber all the time.

Anyway, I was listening to the two of them talk about how the new caseworker who came by both of their houses to introduce herself, since their homes were usually where the kids spent the night.

"Do you really think the caseworker is working with Robyn?" Angela whispered next to me. I shrugged my shoulders as I looked down at the woman washing my feet.

"I don't know, we could just be being paranoid because we think she's had me followed, but Edward is going to ask them to look into it anyway," I replied.

"Good, it's better to be safe than sorry," Kathleen said sitting across from me. My phone vibrated and I pulled it out of my pocket. I smiled seeing it was a text from Edward.

**_Dad said the kids could stay the night with him and mom. Did you ask her yet? ~E_**

**_Yes, I meant to text you but my nails were still wet ~B_**

**_I love when you get all sexy for me, Kitty. ~E_**

**_Who said it was for you ~B_**

I teased back and I received a _not funny_ back in reply.

**_LOL, I was only teasing, baby, you know I only get sexy for you. What did you tell Emmett about the kids not staying with him? ~ B_**

I asked, the kids wanted to stay with Emmett, but Edward and I were really worried about Rose showing up while they were there and causing trouble. Sophie and Nicky being nervous about it only made me and Edward more positive about not letting them spend the night at his place while she was still in town.

**_He thinks mom and dad asked to keep the kids tonight, so he doesn't know it's because they don't want to be there in case Rose shows up ~E_**

**_Okay, are you guys having fun? ~B_**

**_A blast, I think we might have to turn the basement into an arcade ~E_**

**_LOL, maybe you can try and persuade me into that later. I have to stop texting you because everyone is looking at me. ~ B_**

I texted noticing the way they were all smiling at me.

**_They're just jealous you're all mine. I love you, Kitty ~E_**

**_I love you, too ~ B_**

I texted then placed my phone back in my pocket. I needed to get them on a different subject before Angela, Alice and Lauren tried bringing up my newly existing sex life in front of Kathleen and Esme.

"Has Rose been back at Emmett's place?" I asked looking over at Esme and Alice.

"No, she's been calling though," Lauren answered and then bit her lip when we all looked at her.

"You sure are spending a lot of time with my eldest child, Ms. Lauren," Esme said with a smirk on her face. Lauren actually blushed.

"We're just friends," she replied bashfully.

"Yes, that may be, but does your feelings know that?" Esme asked her. Lauren looked over at her but didn't say anything.

"You are both adults and if it is one thing I've learned from my children, it is that you all will do what you want, just be careful dear," Esme warned and Lauren nodded her head. We all sat there quietly now as I tapped my nails on the arm rest. We were in need of a conversation changer.

"Esme and Kathleen, I actually wanted to talk to the two of you about something," I started getting their attention.

"What's that honey?" Kathleen asked.

"Well, Edward and I were talking and he is determined to make sure we have a honeymoon," I told them. Edward wanted to make sure I didn't miss any more romance from the thrill of getting married, and as he said, the honeymoon was a must. Looking at them I nervously continued with what I was trying to say. "Edward had Jonathan talk to Judge Riley yesterday about approving the kids to be allowed to stay with one of you while we are gone and thanks to Jasper's father speaking so highly of Edward, he approved despite Robyn's lawyer trying to stop him. We just need to let him know which of you will be watching them and…"

"…I'll do it!" they both interjected and then laughed when they realized they said it at the same time. I laughed feeling relaxed; I have no idea why I was nervous about asking them.

"That's good to know," I said laughing nervously.

"You couldn't possibly think we were going to say _no_, did you?" Esme asked me and with a smirk I shook my head _no_.

"You let that judge know that Carlisle and I will have our new grandchildren while you and Edward are away on your honeymoon," she told me. I nodded my head with a smile on my face.

"Bella, have you given any more thought to the double wedding idea?" Alice asked making everyone laugh when I groaned.

"I haven't changed my mind, if that's what you mean," I answered.

"Bella, I really wouldn't mind sharing my day with you. I think it will be amazing," she expressed with a smile.

"You'll never get her to change her mind. She's too stubborn," Angela tried to tell her. Kathleen and Lauren nodded their heads in agreement.

"Alice, we've talked about this; I'll feel like I'm intruding on your day and I'm not okay with that," I replied looking over at her.

"But it would be so perfect, and you and Edward are getting married in August anyway," she whined.

"Alice, you and Jasper already have everything planned out. You shouldn't have to change anything just because of me," I told her and she started to pout.

"It won't work," I replied looking away from her.

"Ugh, fine."

"Plus, August 13th is a really important date for Edward and I…" I explained. She opened her mouth to say something and I knew she was going to say she could change her date "…and you shouldn't have to change your wedding day just because of us," I told her. She rolled her eyes nodding her head. She knew I was right.

"Alice, I'm surprised you even want to have a double wedding. It's the one time in a woman's life she gets all to herself, where everything is about her. Hell, the groom is lucky the bride shares that day with him," Lauren joked causing all of us to laugh.

"Bella is the little sister I never had, and getting to share the happiest day of my life with not only the love of my life, but my brother and new sister, would have just been icing on the cake," Alice answered. I smiled over at her feeling extremely special that she wanted to share that with us.

I smiled thinking about what Edward and I were talking about last night. We both decided that a double honeymoon wouldn't be a bad idea. I actually loved the idea of going on our honeymoon with them.

The question was would they want to go with us, because of the custody hearing, Edward and I were U.S. bound. I knew if I left the country Robyn would just try to find some loophole somewhere.

"I don't know about you Alice, but I do like the idea of a double honeymoon," I said with a smile in her direction.

"Oh, hurray, I know you can't leave the country because of the custody hearing, but I am going to find the most perfect place for the four of us, promise!" she practically shouted, bouncing up and down in her chair like the pixie she was.

Everyone started laughing as she started talking a mile a minute.

"I think you just made her night, Bella," Esme told me, I laughed agreeing.

"Are you excited about the engagement party tonight?" Angela asked me with smile.

"Surprisingly, yes, I just want to see how Esme got it all together so fast," I laughed smiling over at her.

"Oh dear, that was easy. I told everyone at the Father's Day cookout, and then at Edward's birthday party and Angela, Lauren and Kathleen took care of letting everyone else I didn't get to know. Plus, I know the owner of the restaurant, everything else was simple," she explained making me laugh.

"Well, I appreciate it," I expressed.

"Of course, I cannot wait to call you my daughter-in-law officially and I couldn't wait to tell everyone my baby boy was marrying the right woman this time," Esme said making everyone laugh.

"I hope I didn't hear what I just thought I heard," my skin crawled at the sound of that voice. I knew that voice and I despised the person it belonged to.

Slowly, I turned my head around to see Carmen, Kate and Tia all standing there like made up Barbie dolls.

"I was seriously hoping you went back to New York," I sneered.

"I was hoping she got hit by a milk truck," Alice added making Angela and Lauren laugh. Carmen glared at all of us.

"What was this I heard about your baby boy marrying the _right_ woman?" Carmen asked looking over at Esme.

"Edward doesn't concern you," I retorted.

"He's my husband…"

"Ex-husband," I corrected ready to slap her. She smiled at me; it was that I know something you don't know sort of smile.

"He still loves me, you know? It's why you still look so worried about me being in Washington, afraid he's going to come crawling back?" she asked. I inhaled a deep breath.

"I'm not worried about that because Edward will _never_ want you back, what I'm worried about, is that if you stay in Washington, me or one of them might catch an assault charge for kicking your ass," I answered. I watched the way Kate shifted when she looked over at Lauren. It made me smile.

"Look here, little girl…"

"I don't know who the hell you are, and I don't care. You just better watch the way you talk to Bella, because I will get up out of this chair and give you an ass whooping your mother obviously never gave you," Kathleen said, cutting Carmen off and shocking the hell out of all of us.  
Carmen inhaled a long breath as she glared at me.

"You enjoy his money now, but you just keep this in mind, Edward and I spent years of our lives together, love like that doesn't just go away. He will get tired of you and when he does, he will come back to me like always," she stated as if she was trying to convince herself.

"Like hell he will! You listen here, Carmen, I've stayed out of your and my son's marital problems and thankfully he finally divorced your ass. So you listen carefully, you will not start any trouble for him and Bella or I WILL put my foot in your ass, do you understand me?" Esme snapped. Carmen looked completely surprised as she looked at her.

"Esme, I loved your son. She's the one who is going to bring him harm. She's using him to take care of her brat brother and sister. Kate told me all about it," Carmen said, and I went to try and get up from my seat but Angela stopped me, holding my arm.

"Bella loves my son; you—you loved what came with my son. Edward loves her more than he ever loved you, and maybe that's why you can't just simply let it go. I'll admit you fooled me when I first met you, I thought you actually cared about my son, but like any ugly truth you eventually showed your true colors."

"You know what, fuck you, Esme, I am so sick of you and your high-horse attitude, as if you've never made a mistake in your life," Carmen snapped.

"Carmen, you better watch how you talk to my mother. I am sick of you and Rosalie. Both of you need to give it up and let it go. My brothers don't want shit to do with either of you," Alice practically growled.

"I'm not Rosalie, unlike her, I actually loved my husband," Carmen replied and I rolled my eyes hating that she was still calling Edward her husband.

"You had a fucked up way of showing him that," I snapped.

"You don't know anything. We still talk, does he tell you that?" she asked with a smirk. I actually laughed.

"Are you referring to when you call and text his phone almost every night? I think for it to be considered a conversation he would have to answer, which he doesn't. See, what you don't know is that when you call and message his phone at night, he's in my bed," I snapped at her and her smile quickly fell from her face.

"You are going to regret the day you met him," Carmen replied.

"If you are trying to threaten her you save that shit for someone else. I will ruin you, Carmen, if you even try to cause any problems. I'm warning you just this once, stay away from him _and_ her," Esme snapped.

"Edward is _my_ husband, until death do us part, and last I checked I'm still breathing," Carmen replied, and the anger in me was about to shoot through the damn roof.

"Keep talking and you won't be," Lauren said, looking as if she was ready to get up and kick Carmen's ass.

"Edward will marry you over my dead body," Carmen said glaring at me and obviously ignoring Lauren's warning.

"Carmen, I think it's just time you let it go," Kate said, pulling on Carmen's arm as if she was trying to get her to walk away.

"No. I am sick of everyone acting like I'm the bad guy all because I tried to save my marriage," she yelled, and I just knew the owner was going to ask us to all leave soon if she didn't walk away.

"You cheated on him and faked a pregnancy," Alice snapped getting up from her seat now.

"Because I loved him, I was afraid I was going to lose him," she tried to explain. How she thought that made sense was beyond me.

"You hurt my brother and I will be damned if I let you do it again. He's moved on and it is in your best interest that you do the same," Alice warned.

"Fuck you, Alice," Carmen countered. Alice took a step toward her and Esme was up out her seat and between the two of them.

"Leave, Carmen, now," Esme cautioned.

"Let's go, Carmen. I told you to just let him go, he's not worth this shit," Tia said trying to get Carmen's attention.

"I can't lose him to her," Carmen said pointing at me.

"You already have," Kate explained. Carmen turned around and glared at her cousin, then she looked over at me again.

She didn't say anything; she just walked away, Tia and Kate following behind her. Esme talked Alice into sitting back down and when she did, she just started laughing hysterically. We all looked at her as if she had lost her damn mind.

"What the hell are you laughing at, pixie?" Angela asked with a smile on her face.

"We have more crazies in our lives than the damn insane asylum has at the hospital," she said still laughing, and soon we all joined in shaking our heads at her.

It didn't take long for Edward to call my phone because I knew Carmen was going to text him that she saw me.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm with your mother, your sister, Ang, Lauren and Kathleen, do you really think I'm not okay?" I asked and he laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you would be being with all those feisty-ass women. I love you, Kitty."

"I know, now go finish enjoying your time with the guys and the kids."

"Yes, dear," he replied making me laugh.

"Hey, Cullen," I called to him before he hung up the phone.

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"More than my own life," he replied before hanging up the phone. I felt my cheeks flush from his words.

We decided to forget all about our run in with Carmen and continued with our day before we all had to go home to get dressed for the engagement party.

While everyone was excited about the engagement party, I was getting excited for what I had planned for Edward after the party.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TDG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had to leave for the engagement party in two hours; I just got out of the shower and I still had Sophie and my hair to curl.

I walked out of my bathroom to see Edward, sitting on the ottoman that sat in front of my bed. Smiling, I walked over to him and leaned in to place a kiss on his lips.

"Did you just get back?" I asked him. He had to run over to his house to pick up the suit he was wearing tonight.

"Yeah, Nicky let me in," he said pulling on my towel to see under it. I slapped his hand away with a smile on my face.

"I should probably give you a key, huh?" I said, walking backward toward my closet to pull out the dress I planned to wear to the party. It was a high-low, strapless dress. I'd always loved the idea of a dress being short in the front to show off my legs, but long in the back to give it that extra hint of elegance. The top was cream with black flower patterns and the skirt was about three layers of black sheer.

"That's completely up to you, but I already placed your key to my place on your key ring downstairs."

"Really," I squealed and blushed when I realized how excited I had gotten from his words as if we weren't engaged. Grinning he just nodded his head as his eyes took me in. I pulled my dress from the closet and showed it to him.

"Do you like it?"

"I like what's under that towel."

"Stop being a pervert and just answer my question," I giggled, causing his smile to expand on his face.

"Of course I like it, baby, you'll look beautiful in it," he answered. I smiled and placed the dress on the overstuffed chair by the window. Next, I pulled out my shoes placing the box on the bed. Sitting down next to Edward I grabbed my lotion off the nightstand.

"Has Sophie and Nicky started to wash up yet?" I asked applying lotion to my legs.

"Uh huh."

"Are you sure, because they like to play when it's time to wash up?"

"Uh huh."

"Do you need to take a shower before we leave?"

"Uh huh."

"Then you better get to it, we have to leave soon," I said rubbing the lotion into my thigh.

"Uh huh," he replied yet again. I looked over at him out of the corner of my eye and smiled seeing the way he was eyeing my legs. Purposely, I loosened my towel and smiled at the way he shifted next to me. I decided to ask him another question.

"Do you like my nails?"

"Uh huh," he replied just like I knew he would.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Uh huh," he lied again causing me to smile. Now it was time to mess with him since he wasn't listening to me.

"I was thinking about going to the party tonight without any underwear, what do you think?"

"Uh huh…wait—what?" he asked looking at me as if I lost my mind. I started laughing hysterically as I got up from the bed.

"You weren't listening to anything I was saying."

"You know, watching you parade around this room in nothing but that towel is driving me fucking crazy," Edward said causing me to laugh. Standing at my dresser, I looked back at him with a smile on my face.

"Now you know how I feel when I have to watch you mow the lawn shirtless," I replied. With a grin on his face he leaned forward and slapped me on my ass. I yelped with laughter as I swatted his hand away.

"Seriously though, baby, do you have to shower before we leave?" I asked him again.

"Yeah, I do. I wish I would have made it in time to get in with you though," he said getting up from the ottoman.

"Maybe you could have, if you would have picked your suit up from your house earlier today," I chastised. I could hear his hard laugh behind me and then I felt a soft kiss on the back of my neck.

"I swear I don't see how you were out all day and got nothing done," I said looking over my shoulder at him.

"I was having too much fun, it was for my birthday in case you forgot," he teased.

"Oh, I didn't forget, I have something very nice planned for you, baby," I flirted looking over my shoulder at him. Grinning he placed a kiss on my lips then headed into the bathroom. Once he closed the door, I pulled out the corset, garter belt, thong and thigh-highs I was wearing tonight.

It was all part of the gift I planned for him later tonight.

Quickly, I put it all on before he came back out of the bathroom. Then slipped my dress on to assure he wouldn't see what I had on under it before it was time. I started to put on my makeup just as there was a knock on my bedroom door.

"Come in!" I yelled knowing it was either Sophie or Nicky.

"Ella, can you zip up my dress?" Sophie said coming into my room. I turned around and smiled at her. She wore a long sleeve, black and green dress. The top part was black, and the skirt was a sea green.

"You look really pretty, Soph," I told her pulling her hair from out of her dress. She smiled at me, a blush similar to my own filling her cheeks.

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome."

"Ella, when you do my hair, can you curl it, I don't want a bun?" Sophie asked. I smiled at her nodding my head.

"Of course," I answered just as the bathroom door opened. Before Sophie even had a chance to turn around I stuffed her face against my chest and tried not to laugh at the sight before me.

Edward came out of the bathroom in his very gorgeous birthday suit, but turned about three shades of red when he realized Sophie was in the room.

"What are you doing, Ella?" Sophie asked trying to get out of my hold.

"Giving you a hug, I can't hug my sister?" I said while Edward rushed back into the bathroom closing the door behind him.

"Yeah, I guess so, but can you stop suffocating me with your boobs," she groaned. Laughing, I released her.

"Sorry."

"You're weird," she said walking out of the room.

"But you love me."

"Yeah, guess that makes me even weirder," she said making me laugh.

"Close the door behind you," I told her as she walked out of my room. She closed the door and a second later I heard Edward from the other side of the bathroom door asking if she was gone now.

"Yes, she's gone," I replied with a smirk on my face. He opened the door, in a towel this time.

"That is officially the most embarrassing moment of my life, and you are not allowed to tell anyone," he warned pointing his finger at me.

"What in the world were you thinking?" I asked him trying not to laugh.

"I was attempting to pay you back for your little tease. Now I don't think I'll be able to look Sophie in the face for the next decade," he said walking over to his drawer and pulling out a pair of boxer briefs.

I got up from my vanity and walked over to him. Wrapping my arms around his waist I placed a kiss on his back and inhaled his scent.

"Baby, you have nothing to worry about. She didn't see anything, she didn't even know the bathroom door opened," I tried assuring him.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, she called me weird for suffocating her with my boobs," I replied laughing. He turned around in my arms and I smiled up at him.

"That wouldn't be a bad way to go."

"Always the pervert."

"Oh... just with you, Kitty."

"As it should be," I seduced with a grin. He took my hand and had me step back so that he could look at me. I watched as his eyes took me in.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Stockings though?"

"Yes, it's supposed to be chilly tonight," I said, of course lying about the reason I was wearing the stocking. "What's wrong with stockings?" I asked with my hand on my hip.

"Nothing, I just like the feeling of your skin on my fingers when I touch your legs under the table," he answered, making me melt right in my undies as I thought about the last time he touched my thighs under the table.

"If you're a good boy, you'll get to feel the skin of my legs on more than just your fingers," I replied seductively.

"Hmm... I love it when you talk dirty, Kitty," he expressed, pulling me against him and wrapping his arm around my waist. I could feel his erection against my stomach and it was taking everything in me not to lock my bedroom door and allow him to have his way with me.

"Edward, can you help me with my tie?" Nicholas yelled. Edward groaned placing his forehead against mine and probably thinking the same thing I was thinking.

"Later, I promise," I whispered, placing a kiss on his chin then stepping away from him so he could pull himself together.

"Yeah, Nick, just give me a sec," Edward yelled back. I went back to trying to finish my makeup while Edward got dressed in a grey suit.

I swear, seeing him in a suit must have been what men felt like when they saw a woman in sexy lingerie. Inhaling a deep breath I tried to reel in my inner sex kitten and save her for later.

"Can you let Sophie know to come back in here so I can curl her hair," I asked him.

"Will do," he said as he walked out of the bedroom to go help Nicky. A moment later Sophie came back into the room and we went into the bathroom so that I could curl her hair.

I had completely forgotten how long her hair was, and then trying to do mine next was murder on my arms.

When Edward and I finally had children of our own, I wanted boys, all boys. By the time I finally finished curling Sophie and my hair, I was exhausted.

I had no idea how people did hair for a living.

It didn't go unnoticed that Edward or Nicky hadn't come into the room, and I knew that meant they were either in Nicky's room looking at some comic book or they were downstairs playing the Xbox Edward brought over.

"Guys, it's almost time to go! I hope you are both ready!" I yelled out, as I sat down on the edge of my bed and started to put my shoes on.

"Ella, can I wear some make up?"

"Uh, no!"

"Aw man, how long do I have to wait before I can wear makeup?" she asked me. I looked at her and wanted to tell her _never_. I suddenly remember when my mom, dad and I had this exact same conversation.

Inhaling a deep breath I gave her the same answer our parents gave me.

"When you're sixteen."

"It's going to be forever before then," she whined much like I did. I smiled at the irony of the situation.

"It's going to be forever before what?" Edward asked coming into the bedroom.

"Sophie wants to wear makeup," I deadpanned, placing on my other shoe and standing up to flex my feet in them.

"What? No, absolutely not," Edward said shaking his head. I laughed at his reaction, it was the same reaction my father had.

"But, Edward, all the other girls in camp my age wear lip gloss, and they say I'm not cool because I don't," she whined and actually pouted. He started running his fingers through his hair, instant sign of anxiety.

"You are better than those girls, Soph. You don't have to do what they do," he told her. "I mean you look very pretty right now, and I bet they could never be as pretty as you. Even if they put on ten tubes of lip gloss," Edward continued. Sophie blushed and then ran over giving him a hug.

She ran out of my room calling to Nicholas. Edward wore a very proud smile on his face.

"That was very sweet of you, baby, but you do realize you just insulted like ten, seven-year- old girls," I chortled.

"So, they told my Sophie she wasn't cool. I should go to that camp," he said picking his suit jacket up from the bed. I laughed shaking my head.

"No, you shouldn't. Trust me, Sophie can hold her own," I informed him, as I walked over to my jewelry box. I froze when I opened it and saw everything was gone.

"Oh my god, where are my babies!" I screamed, pulling open all the little drawers and doors. I could hear Edward laughing behind me.

"Stop laughing, this isn't funny," I said looking around my dresser frantically. Edward came over and took my hand.

"Relax, baby, I moved them."

"Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because I got something for you," he said walking over to his drawers and then pulling out two black velvet boxes. "I knew you would argue that you had jewelry already, so I hid them so that you would have to wear these," he continued opening the boxes.

Inside the boxes were a pair of diamond, heart-shaped earrings, and a heart pendant necklace. I'll admit I was a little disappointed a ring wasn't in one of the boxes, but they were beautiful nonetheless. I touched them and looked up at Edward.

"When did you get these?"

"Today. Why do you think I didn't get anything done?" he smirked, repeating what I said to him. I laughed.

"Why am I getting gifts?"

"Because I already have everything I could ever want when I got you, surely I'm in breach of contract. So I'm trying to make it an even trade," he joked making me laugh.

"You're crazy."

"About you," he replied all smooth. Goodness if I made it through this night without asking him to fuck me in the restaurant's bathroom, it would be a miracle. He put the necklace around my neck first then placed my earrings in my ears.

It was no secret it was sweet when a guy placed a necklace around your neck, but the fact that Edward put my earring in my ears for me as well was just pantie soaking.

"Thank you, they're beautiful," I said, looking at my reflection in my mirror as I placed my hand over the pendant. He kissed my shoulder blade then walked over to his drawer again and pulled out what looked to be my jewelry.

"In your drawer?"

"It was the only place I could think of that you wouldn't look," he said laughing. I watched as he put all my jewelry back then placed my tennis bracelet on my wrist.

"You look beautiful, Bella," I heard Nicholas say from the doorway. I turned around and smiled at him in his little suit.

"Thank you, you look really handsome yourself. Plan on getting some phone numbers tonight," I teased, and he laughed pushing his hands into his pocket.

"Do I really have to wear this tie?" Nicholas asked with his face wrinkled up.

"All real men wear ties, Nick, plus girls like a man in a suit and tie," Edward told him with a smirk.

"Is that why you're wearing a tie?" Nicky asked him.

"Of course I am. I have to keep your sister's interest somehow," he joked making him laugh.

"Okay, I'll wear it. Plus, since Alice is marrying Jasper, I'm on the market again," Nicholas said, causing all of us to toss our heads back in laughter. Shaking my head I caught the time and knew we needed to go.

"Everybody ready?" I asked.

"Yup, and Edward, Ms. Leah said she did it, and it's safe," Nicholas said. I looked between the both of them.

"Did what? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, look at the time, we have to go before we're late," Edward said walking out of the bedroom and taking Nicky with him.

"Don't think you are getting off that easy, what are you talking about?" I asked, grabbing my clutch purse from the bed and following behind them.

"Nothing," Edward lied as we were leaving the house and he put in the alarm code. We climbed into his car and I asked him again.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked me.

"Yes, I really want to know."

"You can't tell her, Edward," Sophie said, and now I was really curious if she knew, too.

"Tell me what?"

"We got a dog!" Nicholas shouted. I was more than sure the shock was evident on my face.

"You weren't supposed to tell her yet, Nicky," Sophie said.

"Edward, tell me you didn't," I said hoping they were playing some trick on me.

"Baby, he was so cute and we couldn't just leave him there."

"Edward, why would you do that? I told them…"

"…Relax, Bella," Edward said laughing, as he pulled out of the driveway. "…we didn't technically get the dog. Jacob and Leah did, Sophie and Nicky are just calling it their dog," Edward said and I swatted his arm.

"Damn it, I thought you really got them a dog," I said relaxing now. We had too much to sort out to be trying to add a dog to our troubles.

"You should have seen your face, Baby."

"That wasn't funny," I whined.

"It was a little bit," he replied grinning at me. I shook my head as we left for the engagement party, so that we could officially celebrate our engagement with our family and friends. **_  
_**

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


	25. Unconditionally and Irrecoverably Bounde

**_Hey New Readers! And so happy to see so many old readers following the story second time around. Makes me very happy!_**

**_Happy Reading!_**

* * *

**_Unconditionally and Irrecoverably Bounded_**

**_Chapter 25_**

The restaurant where we were having the engagement party was this extravagant place in the city. Just standing outside I could tell how extremely beautiful the place was.

"They're here!" I heard someone yell as Edward opened the door. Then Rihanna's _We Found Love_ started to blast from the speakers as everyone started to applaud at our arrival. I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt.

The place was absolutely breathtaking as I looked around taking in the room and everyone in attendance. The tables were arranged in a circular manner leaving the middle of the floor open for dancing, I speculated. All the tables were beautifully decorated with candles and flowers.

It amazed me how Esme was able to pull this all together so quickly. She and Carlisle approached us, giving us all a hug.

"This is beautiful, thank you, Esme," I said hugging her.

"No _thank you_ needed, dear," she said holding my hand with a smile on her face.

"You must come meet the women, from my art gallery. They couldn't believe my son was marrying the daughter of the _The Swan_," Esme said as Edward and I followed her over to a group of women.

Sophie and Nicky ran off to play with Amelia, EJ and a few other kids that were here as well.

"Camille, this is Edward's fiancée, Bella," Esme said as we approached. The woman Camille turned around smiling at the both of us. A younger woman, who looked just like this woman Camille, stood next to her. She never looked in my direction as she smiled laying her eyes on Edward.

"Aw man, remember I said my mother's colleagues were always trying to introduce me to their daughters?" Edward whispered into my ear. I just nodded my head _yes_. "She's one of the daughters," he continued. Instantly, I eyed this woman that could have possibly been dating my Edward.

In another universe anyway.

"Edward, it is marvelous to see you, and your future bride," Camille said, and I could tell that last part was very forced. Was she really upset her daughter wasn't the one on Edward's arm?

Yeah, I guess I could see that. He is one amazing guy.

"Ms. Camille, you look lovely this evening," Edward said wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Thank you, dear. Have you met my daughter Chelsea," she asked, and now I had a name for the skank eyeing my fiancée as if he was still on the market.

"No, I can't say that I have," Edward replied with a forced smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Edward, if we could have only met sooner, maybe this would be our engagement party," Chelsea said, and then laughed the worst laugh I've ever heard in my life.

"Not likely; my Bella held my heart from the moment I met her ten months ago," Edward answered, and I smiled up at him. He took that as his cue to place a kiss on my lips, and it was not an innocent we're-in-public kiss either.

"Aren't they just the cutest couple in the world?" I heard Esme ask with so much excitement in her voice, it made me blush. "I couldn't have asked for a better woman for my son to fall in love with, _she_ is surely his perfect match," she continued, and I knew Esme well enough to know that was a blow to both Camille and Chelsea.

I'm not sure when they walked away, but by the time Edward stopped kissing me they were gone. Esme smiled at us.

"That woman bugs me," Esme said looking over at Camille.

"Then why do you put up with her?" I asked with a laugh.

"She's like top dog in the artistry world, I'm trying to take her job," Esme answered, then winked at me. I laughed shaking my head. Edward's grandparents came over to greet us.

"Eddie, don't mess this up. You did really good this time," his grandmother said winking over at me. I blushed as she kissed both of our cheeks.

We were greeted by everyone and I was actually surprised at how many people were here.

Jonathan, Billy and Mrs. Weber…I meant Kathleen, were there helping and talking with Edward's family. It seemed like they were doing what my parents would have been doing. They were standing for me in place of my parents as they congratulated us.

"You look beautiful, Cinderella," Jonathan said placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you, you're looking very handsome; you bring a hot date or something," I teased and he laughed nervously as I watched his eyes look over at Emily.

"Uncle Jonathan!" I yelled making him and Edward laugh.

"Wow, you haven't called me that since before…" he trailed off, but he didn't need to continue I knew what he was going to say. I hadn't called him Uncle Jonathan since before my parents died. "…it's nothing serious, Cinderella. I just asked her here as my date," he continued.

"You'll tell me right?" I asked.

"Of course," he said with a grin. Billy and his wife came over to us giving us a hug and I heard Billy whisper a thank you to Edward when he hugged him.

"Bella, you look absolutely gorgeous," Kathleen said grinning at me. Looking at her, Billy and Jonathan, I smiled as the best idea just hit me.

"Will the three of you give me away at my wedding?" I asked, causing everyone to stop talking as they looked at me. "I know all three of you can't walk me down the aisle, so Uncle Billy and Uncle Jonathan could you give me away? And Kathleen I would really like if you could stand in for my mother," I continued. The three of them looked at me and then I saw the tears in Kathleen's eyes.

"Damn it I knew I should have worn waterproof mascara," she said making me laugh as she pulled me into a hug.

"We would be honored to, Cinderella," Jonathan said smiling at me.

"I'm so happy I could dance right now," Billy said and then he started dancing. It was the most horrifying thing in the world. Smiling, I looked up at Edward and he was smiling at me, as if he was admiring me.

"I love you," he mouthed. I blushed and told him I loved him, too. More people came to greet us and I was surprised when I saw that Mrs. Newton was here.

I felt someone pulling on my dress and I looked down to see that it was Amelia. Smiling, I squatted down so that I was eye level with her.

"Hey sweetie."

"Hi," she said bashfully.

"You look really pretty in your dress," I told her. She smiled at me swinging from side to side.

"Thank you," she replied just smiling at me. "Can I ask you question?" she asked me. Smiling, I nodded my head.

"Of course."

"Can I call you Aunt Ella?" she asked, and I swear my heart almost exploded. It didn't surprise me that she said Ella instead of Bella. She idolized Sophie and Sophie only ever called me Ella.

"Of course you can call me that, I would like that very much," I answered. She smiled, gave me a hug and then ran off. Standing back up I smiled feeling very happy right now.

"Hey, Aunt Ella?" Edward said nudging my shoulder. I smiled shaking my head at him. Alice and Jasper came over to us giving us a hug.

"You look very sexy, Bella," Alice complimented causing me to blush.

"Thank you, it's one of the dresses you gave me."

"I thought it looked familiar, I knew it would be perfect for you when I saw it in the store," she said, and I glared at her while Edward and Jasper started to laugh.

"I thought you said that it was clothes from your closet you never wore, Alice?"

"Oh um…oh forget it. Yes, I brought you all those clothes, but aren't they cute?" she asked grinning at me. Laughing I shook my head at her.

"I'm paying you back."

"I don't accept."

"What?"

"I don't accept you paying me back."

"So you can give, but no one can give to you?" I asked and Jasper nodded his head.

"Doesn't that sound like someone else we know?" Alice inquired with a wink my way. I knew she was referring to me. "That's why I know you're the perfect one for my brother, Bella," she added making me blush again.

"I don't want to talk straight business with you, but Edward told me about the new caseworker and I already have Sam on the job," Jasper told us.

"Thanks, Jasper," I said smiling at him.

"No thanks needed little sister," he replied with a grin. Edward and I stood there talking with them a little while longer. It was amazing looking at how my family had grown in such a short time all thanks to Edward.

Leah and Jacob came over to us giving us a hug and congratulations. I laughed when Jake called himself, giving Edward a warning, as my big brother, but I was happy to see that they seemed to get along now. I don't know what happened to change that but I was happy nonetheless.

Leah and I joked about when Charlie beat Jake at basketball, and Jake whined for a week. I spent so much time being upset with Leah that I forgot how many memories of my parents I shared with her and Jake.

"Oh, Bella, you know the restaurant, of course, catered the food, but I know how much you love my red velvet cakes, so I made some red velvet cupcakes just for this special occasion," Leah said. My stomach did a dance at the thought of eating one of Leah's red velvet cupcakes.

"Have I told you I love you?" I asked causing her, Edward and Jacob to laugh hysterically. We started to walk over to where the cupcakes were and were stopped by Edward's aunt, Elizabeth and her husband Marcus.

"I'm so happy for you nephew," she said, hugging him and then me. They started talking to us and I'll admit I was only half listening, since I was actually watching the table where the cupcakes were.

People were eating them like crazy, not that I could blame them. They were amazing. Once Edward's aunt and uncle walked away we headed for the table, but Edward's friend's Seth, Peter and Jared stopped us.

"You are one lucky bastard, Edward, and now I'm $1000 poorer," Jared chortled shaking Edward's hand.

"Why?" Edward asked with a laugh.

"Because after we met Bella, we all said you were going to marry her. Seth and I said it would happen before the year was over, Jared bet on next year," Peter said. I blushed at the fact that after meeting me they were so sure Edward and I were heading for marriage.

Edward shook his head at the three of them. I smiled trying to listen to them, but I saw a few more people eating cupcakes- my cupcakes.

"Go get your cupcake, Kitty. I see you're itching for one," Edward whispered into my ear. Looking up at him I mouthed _I love you_ and he laughed.

I tried walking toward the table again only to be stopped by Carlisle who wanted to introduce me to some people he worked with. Like Esme, he praised me as if I was some golden child. I swear my cheeks were going to be permanently red by the end of the night.

I excused myself from them and tried to walk over to the dessert table again, but was stopped yet again, by Angela and Lauren this time.

"You look hot, Bella, how the hell hasn't Edward tossed you over his shoulder yet," Angela joked making me laugh.

"Like you should be talking, I'm surprised Seth let you out of his sight," I replied.

"We're…"

"…just friends," Lauren and I finished for her and she put her middle finger up at the both of us.

"We heard that lie; when are you going to start admitting you have a boyfriend?" Lauren asked.

"When you admit you have feelings for Emmett," Angela tossed right back. I tried not to laugh but couldn't resist the giggle that left my lips.

"We're just friends," Lauren said, and she actually looked disappointed in saying that.

"Doesn't change that you have feelings for him," Angela replied causing Lauren to glare at her.

"There's nothing wrong with it, Lauren, Emmett's a great guy," I assured her.

"A married man," she added, and I knew that feeling really well. We stood there awkwardly for a little while until Lauren looked up at me.

"Enough about that, are you wearing the corset?" she whispered so only Angela and I heard her.

"Yes, can't you tell?" I asked looking down at my breast which was perkier than normal. Angela laughed and started to poke at them. Laughing, I slapped her hand away.

"Stop," I told her.

"What? They look really great, I mean seriously, I might have to get me one," Angela said trying to poke at my breast again.

"You don't have a corset?" Lauren asked.

"No, didn't think it would matter," Angela answered.

"Oh my poor girls, I must teach you both all the tricks of the bedroom," Lauren said causing us to laugh.

"How much could you know, you're only four years older than us," Angela teased.

"Four year's more experience," Lauren replied while wiggling her eyebrows. We stood there talking a little bit more and then I watched Emmett walk past us popping the rest of a red velvet cupcake into his mouth.

"Have you tried one of Leah's cupcakes yet, damn these things are good," He said and I noticed he was holding another one in his hand.

"I know, I had two already," Angela said.

"I had three, does that make me fat?" Lauren asked.

"Nope, you look great to me," Emmett replied with a grin on his face. While their flirting was cute, I wanted a damn cupcake.

I was just getting ready to ask him for the one in his hand when Amelia walked over.

"Thank you for my cupcake, daddy," she said taking it.

So much for that cupcake.

I left the three of them standing there and walked over to the table to finally grab my cupcake.

Only.

They were gone. I wanted to cry.

"Where are the cupcakes?" I asked actually pouting.

"Oh my god, did everyone eat all the cupcakes already?" I heard Leah ask. I looked around to see everyone's guilty faces.

"Sorry," Nicholas said smiling as he was still chewing what I knew was the last cupcake.  
Would it be wrong to give my little brother a wedgie over a cupcake? Yeah, it probably would be.

I was sad, I mean like seriously sad. Everyone got to enjoy my favorite cake but me.

"This sucks, majorly," I said and saw the smiles on Leah and Jacob's face. "Why are you smiling?" I asked them.

"Ella, I think Edward has another cupcake," Sophie said with a smile.

"What?"

"Turn around," Nicholas said with excitement as he was practically bouncing up and down. I turned around and there was Edward, down on one knee holding a red velvet cupcake, with a diamond ring peeking out of the top of it.

My hand flew to my mouth as Edward smiled up at me.

"Bella, baby, you know you mean everything to me. From the moment I met you, you changed my life forever. You are my strength, my reason for existing, what keeps me going each and every day, my kryptonite, because I have never been more vulnerable, than when I'm with you," he started and I heard all the _awws_ from everyone in the room.

"…When I'm with you, I'm a better version of myself. I want so much more out of life, and to share that with you. Our lives are far from perfect, but I want to share my life with you for as long as I live. I want to raise Sophie and Nicky with you, raise our children with you and grow old with you. I can't promise you that I won't be a pain in your ass, but I can promise to put you and them before anything else in this entire world. I promise that I will love you every day of forever. Will you marry me, mi amor?"

I felt the tears in my eyes. Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine someone loving me this much. The room was quiet, obviously waiting for me to say something. I was so emotional right now I could hardly focus. The tears slowly fell down my face while Edward smiled up at me still holding the red velvet cupcake with the diamond ring dead center.

"You got me a cupcake," I blurted out through my tears and laughed when I realized what I said. Everyone in the room started to laugh, including Edward as he got up from the floor.

"Yes, I got you a cupcake, baby," he chuckled wiping my tears from my face. He pulled the ring from the cupcake, and placed it against my lips to lick the icing. Smiling, I did just that. Once it was clean from the icing I held out my hand while he slid the white gold, diamond engagement ring onto my finger.

"I didn't hear her say _yes_," Emmett teased causing everyone to laugh again.

Looking from the ring on my finger and then up at Edward I said, "Of course I'll marry you." Grinning, he lowered his head and placed a kiss on my lips while everyone cheered as if there was ever a chance of me saying _no_.

Edward broke our kiss and then brought the cupcake to my lips. Grinning, I took a bite out of it actually moaning. He laughed as he wiped some of the icing from the corner of my mouth. I took the cupcake from him and then placed it against his mouth.

"You're sharing your cupcake?" he asked with mock shock on his face.

"Yes, now shut up and bite it before I change my mind," I joked making everyone laugh yet again. Edward and I finished off the cupcake and the rest of the party was soon underway.

Lauren teased us saying we were so backwards because Edward proposed to me at our own engagement party. He told her to stop being a hater.

As we all sat down to finally have dinner, I was once again amazed at what Esme had set up.

"Goodness, only we would have dessert before dinner," I said making Edward laugh.

"Yeah, I knew Sophie and Nicky wouldn't last through dinner without slipping and telling you what I was going to do," he replied making me giggle.

"You planned this with them?"

"Everyone. Why do you think people kept stopping you from going to the table?" he asked, rolling my eyes I shook my head.

"I took Sophie and Nicky with me to pick out the ring Monday after I picked them up from camp. They went with me earlier to pick the ring up from the jewelers."

"When?"

"After we left Dave and Buster's, that's why I never made it to my house to pick up my suit until after you came home," he informed me. I smirked at him.

"Very smooth, Dr. Cullen," I replied. The waitresses brought over our plates just as Emmett's cell phone started to vibrate on the table.

He looked at the phone and I saw the anger pass on his face. He ignored the call and started to eat. No one had to ask him who it was, because his face said it perfectly.

Everyone shared casual conversation as we ate dinner, and it was the happiest I've felt and seen Sophie and Nicky in a really long time.

"You know, Edward I've been meaning to ask you what happened to that chaise lounge in the art gallery. You never told me, you just said you have to replace it," Esme said, and I tried so hard to force the smile forming on my face away.

Edward cleared his throat as if trying not to laugh, "We spilled some wine on it," he lied. I couldn't look up, because if I did, I was liable to give away what we had really done on that chaise lounge in the art gallery.

"By the look on your face, I'm going to assume that's where you stopped being an endangered species," Angela whispered into my ear from next to me. My cell phone vibrated and when I looked it, it was a text message from Lauren who was only sitting a few seats away from me.

**_You lost your virginity in that art gallery, didn't you? ~L_**

I laughed reading her text message. I never told them where Edward and I had done it for the first time; I just told them that we did. I texted back a _yes _to Lauren and showed it to Angela answering her as well.

"Hot damn!" Lauren yelled getting everyone's attention. "This steak is so good isn't it," she said trying to play it off.

After dinner, everyone started to dance. The night was completely perfect and it wasn't even over yet.

"Are you happy?" Edward asked as he held me in his arms.

"Happy doesn't even start to describe how elated I am," I answered looking up at him. He cupped my face in his hand as he looked down at me.

"Did I give you the romantic proposal you wanted?"

"Yes and the cupcake made it perfect," I replied causing him to laugh. The song changed and _A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri,_ started to play. I placed my head on his chest as we danced to the song.

When it started to end, I looked up at Edward and kissed him. His arms tightened around me as we fell deeper into our kiss.

After three more songs of dancing together we started to dance with everyone else. I danced with Carlisle, Billy, Jonathan and then Emmett.

By the time I started dancing with Jasper, I saw that Edward was dancing with Sophie. I smiled watching her stand on his feet. Much like I use to with Charlie.

It was weird how everything seemed to fall into place. Nicholas came over and asked to dance with me next. Smiling I started to dance with my little brother.

"Bella," he called to me. I looked down into his little face. It was amazing how much he looked like our father.

"Yeah?"

"You're the best big sister ever," he told me. I smiled and gave him a hug telling him he was the best brother ever. We all continued to dance and enjoy ourselves.

Eventually Edward and I had to sit down; well I had to sit down. My feet were starting to kill me. I sat snuggled up at Edward's side, admiring my ring. It was so simple, and yet very beautiful.

"This is really beautiful," I said outloud.

"I knew if I got you something over the top, you would have yelled at me," Edward said from next to me. I laughed still looking at the ring.

"I wouldn't have yelled," I said and he muttered a _yeah right _under his breath causing me to laugh again. We watched everyone dancing and talking. A few came over to congratulate us again and tell us goodnight.

Edward was placing little kisses on my neck while whispering very sweet things into my ear. I giggled at something he said just as I heard Emmett yell.

"What?" I noticed he was on the phone. He stormed out of the restaurant, Lauren following close behind him.

There was no question who he was yelling at and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what he ever saw in a woman like Rosalie, hell I still couldn't see what Edward ever saw in Carmen.

"I don't get it," I mumbled out loud.

"Get what?" Edward asked.

"What men like you and Emmett ever saw in women like Carmen and Rosalie," I said looking at him. He gave a light laugh sitting back in his chair.

"Emmett met Rose at some party for this baseball player he was trying to sign with. She was crying in the hallway about some guys trying to attack her and she didn't know where her friends were, and she somehow lost her purse. Emmett being the gentleman offered to help her, from there they fell in love at least that's how he tells it. He said everything in their marriage was great until after EJ was born. That's when someone tried telling him that everything about the night they met was a lie. Apparently, she was known for doing this at those kind of parties. Emmett didn't believe the players trying to tell him this, especially when Rose told him they were the guys that attacked her that night. As the years went on he became more isolated from his friends and family because she always claimed they insulted her somehow," Edward explained.

"Like what happened with all of you?"

"Yeah, when he noticed the pattern, he started questioning her about it. He said from there everything went downhill. He suspected she was cheating and called Sam to find out, he ended up finding out more than he actually wanted to know," Edward continued and I could see that he felt bad for his brother. I took his hand into mine and he smiled at me.

"As for me and Carmen, well she was my constant girlfriend in college and medical school. When I first met her I thought she was amazing. She was focused and knew exactly what she wanted out of life. It was a comfortable and non-dramatic relationship…at first. She didn't distract me from studying; she didn't demand my attention when I had to study all night. I thought I had found the perfect girl, one that didn't complain about me not spending enough time with her," he began, and I could tell that he was a little uncomfortable talking about this. I laced our fingers together.

"When I started working, she seemed understanding, eventually we fell into marriage. Like I said before it just seemed like the right step to take next, but that's when she started slipping and showing who she really was. I found out the reason she didn't care I wasn't around so much was because she had other boyfriends all through college. Since we were married and there was no actual pre-nuptial agreement between us, she felt like she could do whatever she wanted because she had my name. You know everything that happened after that," he said looking at me.

"She never deserved you," I told him cupping his face in my hand. He smiled at me.

"I'm thankful for the shit she put me through, though."

"Why would you be thankful for that?"

"Because it made me appreciate you even more; it makes me appreciate what we have more than anything in this world. It made me realize what a perfect woman really was, and gave me the ability to recognize when I found her in a coffee shop," he answered with that gorgeous smile on his face. Grinning, I leaned into him placing a kiss on his lips.

He pulled my bottom lip into his mouth as his tongue darted into mine. I moaned in response, cupping the back of his neck as the tip of my fingers played in his hair. I could kiss forever and never get tired. I could feel his hand on the back of my neck as he gently sucked on my tongue.

"Mmhg…" we heard someone clearing their throat. Breaking our kiss we both turned around to see Angela and Seth standing in front of us.

"About time the two of you noticed we were standing here," Seth joked and I blushed placing my head against Edward's shoulder.

"What's up?" Edward asked with a smile in his voice.

"We just wanted to say goodnight, we're about to leave," Angela said and I gave her a look I knew she would get.

"Yeah, I have work in the morning and…"

"The two of you aren't really about to make up some lie like we don't know the two of you better than that, are you?" Edward asked and Angela blushed while Seth laughed running his fingers through his hair.

"Don't do anything I would do, though you've done more than me already anyway," I teased and Angela laughed giving me the finger.

"Says you. You forget I know what you have planned tonight and I might have to do what you're going to do," she teased right back. I grinned at her while Seth and Edward shared a very confused look.

"Goodnight, Angela," I said wanting to get rid of her now.

"Goodnight BFF, I love you," she replied grinning at me.

"I love you too, and Seth you take care of her or I'll kick your ass," I warned and he laughed.

"She's not joking, Seth, and since she's my future wife that means I'm on her side and will have to kick your ass, too," Edward added. The look on Seth's face was priceless. Eventually the two of them left and more and more people came to tell us goodnight.

"Don't think I forgot about what Angela said, what is it that you have planned tonight, Kitty?" Edward asked me just as someone else walked away from us after saying goodnight.

"How soon can you get me home so you can find out?" I asked in response. In no time we were suddenly the ones leaving as we told everyone goodnight, told the kids to be good at Esme and Carlisle's place and then we headed home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TDG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We were back in the house and Edward was like a giddy teenage boy, it was rather hot. In my bedroom I turned one of the arm chairs to face the bed and then ordered him to sit down.

"You just want me to sit here?" he asked as I pulled out my iPod and placed it on the speaker dock.

"Yes, and you are not allowed to do anything else unless I say otherwise," I warned him looking over my shoulder at him.

Just then _Cater 2 you, by Destiny Child's_ started to play. Smiling, I slowly walked over to him and kneeled down between his feet just as the first verse started.

_Baby I see you working hard_  
_I want to let you know I'm proud_  
_Let you know that I admire what you do_  
_The more if I need to reassure you, my life would be purposeless without you_  
_If I want it (Got it)_  
_When I ask you (You Provide it)_  
_You inspire me to be better_

_You challenge me for the better_  
_Sit back and let me pour out my love letter_

_Let me help you_  
_Take off your shoes_  
_Until Your shoestrings_  
_Take Off Your Cufflinks_  
_What you want to eat boo?_  
_Let me feed you_  
_Let me run your bathwater_  
_Whatever you desire, I'll aspire_

The song continued as I started to undress him. I was nervous about what I was getting ready to do but his eyes showed he was very intrigued in what I had planned for him. He watched me closely as I removed his shoes and then his shirt next. Looking at him from under my lashes, I song along with the chorus as I slowly started to dance in his lap.

_Let me cater to you_  
_Cause baby this is your day_  
_Do anything for my man_  
_Baby anything for my man_  
_Baby you blow me away_  
_I got your slippers, your dinner, dessert and so much more_  
_Anything you want just let me cater to you_  
_Inspire me from the heart_  
_Can't nothing tear us apart_  
_You're all I want in a man;_  
_I put my life in your hands_  
_I got your slippers, your dinner, your dessert, and so much more_  
_Anything you want, I want to cater to you_

Teasing him, I rubbed my body up against his. When he tried to grab a hold of me I got up from his lap shaking my finger at him.

"No touching," I warned him. He smirked at me as I continued to undress him, undoing his belt next. I undressed him until he was left in nothing but his boxer briefs.

As the song ended I walked out of arms reach as the next song _Dance for you, by Beyoncé_ started to play. I smiled at him knowing he would really like this part even more than the first part, because it was now my turn to undress. I started rocking my hips as the song started.

_I just wanna... _  
_Show you how much I appreciate you_  
_Wanna show you how much I'm dedicated to you_  
_Wanna show you how much I will forever be true_  
_Wanna show you how much you got your girl feelin' good_  
_Wanna show you how much, how much you're understood_  
_Wanna show you how much, I value what you say_  
_Not only are you loyal, you're patient with me bay_  
_Wanna show you how much, I really care about your heart_  
_I wanna show ya how much, I hate being apart_  
_Show ya, show ya, show ya til you're through with me_  
_I wanna keep it how it is, so you can never say how it used to be_

_Loving you is really all that's on my mind_  
_And I can't help but to think about it day and night_  
_I wanna make that body rock, sit back and watch_

The song continued and I slowly lowered the zipper on my dress. I could see the muscles in his jaw tightening as he watched me. Slowly I revealed the corset and garter belt I was wearing under my dress as the song progressed. While I seductively danced for him.

_Tonight I'm gonna dance for you (ohh ooh ohh ohhh)_  
_Tonight I'm gonna dance for you (ohh ooh ohh ohhh)_  
_Tonight I'm gonna put my body on your body_  
_Boy I like it when you watch me, ah_  
_Tonight it's going down_  
_I'll be rockin' on my babe rockin', rockin' on my babe_  
_Swirlin' my babe Twirlin', swirlin' on my babe_  
_Baby lemme put my body on your body _  
_Promise not to tell nobody cuz_  
_It's bout to go down_

I allowed my dress to finally fall at my feet and the look on Edward's face said I had most certainly picked the right outfit.

I danced for him just like the song said, moving my hips to the music as he watched me. Slowly I walked over to him and started to dance in front of him as the song continued on to the second verse.

_You'll never need 2, cuz I will be your number 1_  
_Them other chicks are superficial _  
_But I know you know I'm the one_  
_That's why I'm all into you_  
_Cuz I can recognize that you know that_  
_That's why I'm backin' this thing back_  
_Pop, poppin' this thing back_  
_Drop-drop-drop-dropping this thing back_  
_This is for the time, you gave me flowers_  
_For the world, that is ours_  
_For the mulah, for the power of love_  
_I know I won't never ever eh-ever give you up_  
_And I wanna say thank you in case I don't thank you enough_  
_A woman in the street and the freak in the you know what_  
_Sit back sit back it's the pre game show_  
_Daddy you know what's up_

_Loving you is really all that's on my mind_  
_And I can't help but to think about it day and night_  
_I wanna make that body rock, sit back and watch_

Edward reached out to pull me to him but I swatted his hand away and warned him no touching. The song continued and I placed my hands on the arms over the chair as I hovered over his lap and continued to do just what the song said.

_Tonight I'm gonna dance for you (ohh ooh ohh ohhh)_  
_Tonight I'm gonna dance for you (ohh ooh ohh ohhh)_  
_Tonight I'm gonna put my body on your body_  
_Boy I like it when you watch me, ah_  
_Tonight it's going down_  
_I'll be rockin' on my babe rockin', rockin' on my babe_  
_Swirlin' my babe swirlin', swirlin' on you babe_  
_Baby lemme put my body on your body _  
_Promise not to tell nobody cuz_  
_It's bout to go down_

Rocking and popping my hips over his lap, I moaned feeling him growing hard under me. I took one of his hands allowing him to touch me now. His hand seemed to go everywhere, as if he couldn't decide where he wanted to touch first.

I sang along with the song as I looked at him I wanted him to know I meant those words from the song more than anything. "Imma take this time, to show you how much you mean to me. Cuz you all I need, No money can emphasize or describe, the love that's in between the lines. Boy look into my eyes, While I'm grinding on you, This is beyond sex, I'm high on you, If it's real then you know how I feel, Rockin on you babe, Rockin rockin on you babe, Swirlin on you babe, In my mind all I can think about, Is a frame for our futures, And the pictures of the past, And a chance to make this love last…"

His arm wrapped around me, pressing me against his body, as I felt his lips on my neck now. As good as that felt I needed to complete the song, finish off his gift. So I pulled myself from his lap, and he actually growled, jumped up from the chair and picked me up.

"I can't wait any more, Kitty," he growled and then devoured my mouth before I could respond. I kissed him back, melting into the kiss as he walked us over to the bed.

He lowered me on the bed, kissing me frantically as he pulled at my thong, ripping it from my body. I screamed out in more shock than pain. He stopped for a second to look at me, silently asking if he had hurt me.

I answered by sitting up slightly and yanking his boxers down from around his hips. His cock sprang free and my heart started to race in anticipation. Quickly, he removed his boxers and then started to kiss me again. I started to try and kick my shoes off but he stopped me.

"Keep them on, keep it all on," he told me placing kisses along my neck. He positioned himself between my thighs and then pushed into me so hard my breath got stuck in my throat. He moaned into my ear as my walls invited him in and wrapped securely around his erection.

"Oh fuck, you feel so good, Kitty," he moaned as he started to move inside of me. The strokes started off slow at first, but seemed to pick up the louder I moaned. Clawing at his back, I lifted my hips from the bed wanting more of him; needing more of him if that was at all possible.

He pulled me closer to the edge of the bed and then started to stand up straight. Looking down into my face he held my waist and commenced to pounding into me.

I moaned out loudly as my arms flew up above my head and started to grip at the sheets.  
Harder he fucked me, causing the bed to shake and for my body to quiver in response. It felt so fucking good I could see stars.

My walls tightened around him and he held my waist tighter thrusting into me. Harder he stroked until I cried out in my release clawing at his arms needing to touch him.

As I came down from my release he stepped back slipping from my body. I pouted and he smiled.

"Stand up and bend over the bed," he instructed. How we had switched roles of who was in charge was unknown to me, but did I care?

Hell No!

I stood up from the bed and did just as he asked me to. I felt him tugging at the strings on the back of the corset I wore. He pulled it off of me tossing it to the floor. I was in nothing now but my thigh-highs and stilettos. His hand slowly moved over the curve of my back.

Then I felt his hands on my ass, gradually rubbing on it as if he was admiring it. I looked back at him over my shoulder with a sexy smirk on my face.

"You like what you see, Dr. Cullen?" I moaned, he grinned at me.

"Like isn't the word I would use, Kitty. You have no idea how fucking sexy you look right now," he said as his hand wrapped around to my front and he started to play, pluck, and pull at my clit. I dropped my head, my hair falling around my face as a curtain.

"Do you like that?" Edward whispered into my ear. I could only moan my approval as I started to feel him enter me again. His fingers never stopped their torture on my clit.

Filling me, I whimpered in pleasure at the way he felt inside of me in this position. It was like I was feeling more of him if that made sense.

Holding my waist he rocked into me repeatedly. I gripped the sheets trying to keep myself up on my feet. His fingers on my sensitive mound never ceased their movement as they progressed in tight circles over my clit.

"Oh baby, faster please," I moaned and he did not disappoint. Faster he pummeled into my body, moaning, grunting, and growling out my name. His fingers moved faster, my head going black as pleasure started to fill every inch of my body.

Over and over again he thrust into me, but I was a goner when he leaned in and sucked on the spot just behind my ear. Between that, his fingers on my clit and his cock between my thighs I convulsed around him so vigorously my legs gave out on me.

Fisting the sheets under my hands I growled out in ecstasy as I fell onto the bed. Edward didn't stop as I came around him.

"Fuck, I love feeling you do that," he roared placing kisses on my shoulder blade. "But I need to taste you this time," he said then he slipped from my body and before I even had the chance to miss his cock I could feel his mouth on me.

With my ass in the air, Edward feasted from between my thighs like a hungry man. He pushed me up further on the bed so that he could slip between my legs. Lying on his back, he used his hand to separate my vertical lips and entered his tongue.

"Ohhh..." was all I could moan out. I was now riding his face, as if it was his cock. He sucked, licked and kissed my pussy so good it didn't take me long to come for the third time tonight.

I swear if a strip tease could get me this, he would be getting one on the regular basis. He consumed my juices as if he was thirsty. I needed to take control back because he had successfully made me cum three times.

Slapping his hands away I moved down his body, placing kisses on his chest. I slipped from the bed, now between his thighs and took his cock right into my mouth as I looked up at him.

"Fuck," he shouted, his head falling back against the bed. Up and down my head bobbed as I sucked his cock as if it was my favorite treat. Who was I kidding; it was most certainly my favorite treat.

Faster and faster I sucked his dick, massaging his balls while I was at it. His hands were in my hair as he told me how much he was enjoying it.

When he asked me to go slow, I went slow.

When he said take him in, I deep throated his ass.

When he said faster, I went wild.

"I'm close baby," he told me trying to pull me up. I wanted to taste him though; I loved how he tasted just as much as he loved how I tasted.

"Kitty, please I want to come inside of you, not your mouth," he said trying to pull me up again. I released him from my mouth, despite the fact that I really didn't want to. This was his birthday gift after all.

Holding on to the bedpost I stepped up on the bed and lowered myself around him. My eyes shut tightly at the feeling of his entry into my body.

Up and down I bounced over him. Bucking, rolling and rocking my hips. Whenever we were in this position I didn't have to think of how to ride him, I just did it as naturally as it felt.

"Oh, that's my Kitty, just like that, baby," he moaned cupping my breast in his hand as I continued to ride him. Digging my nails into his chest I worked my pussy faster, pumping up and down using my legs.

When he held me still and started to thrust up into my body rapidly, I sobbed my approval in a shaky breath. He slammed back into me hard one last time and moaned my name as his fingers dug into my hips.

I fell against his chest completely out of breath as I listened to his racing heartbeat. His arm wrapped around me, his fingers lightly trailing over my back.

"This was the best birthday present ever," he breathed out and I laughed feeling his cock twitch inside of me in response.

"I'm happy you enjoyed it."

"Enjoy? Bella, I…god I can't even think of the right words to tell you how much I loved all of this. You undressing me, the fucking sexy dance that almost killed me when you said I couldn't touch you, and then being inside of you. Baby, love couldn't even describe how much this meant to me," he said. I looked up at him with a smile on my face.

"You're flattering me, Dr. Cullen."

"Good," he replied closing his eyes as his fingers still made invisible patterns on my back. "You can show me the rest of that dance now, I think I can contain myself to let you finish," he mumbled making me laugh.

"You know you made it a lot longer than Lauren and Angela thought you would. They thought I wouldn't even be able to start the second song," I told him placing kisses on his chest. He laughed.

"It wasn't easy, especially when you first started grinding in my lap," he informed me.

"I just wanted it to be special, and to show you how much you mean to me," I expressed making circles around his nipple with my tongue. His hand gripped the back of my neck forcing me to look up at him.

"You mean the world to me, Isabella. This night was perfect, not because of the sexy dance though it was amazing but because it was you."

"See, when you talk like that all I want to do is fuck your brains out," I replied nipping at his lower lip. He laughed giving me a quick peck on my lips. Slowly he sat up, putting us both in the sitting position with me still straddling his lap.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips.

Looking into his eyes, I felt like I could see my entire life looking back at me. This love I felt for him, was strong, unbreakable.

Before Edward, I had walls built so high around my heart it was my home, but I knew now that I had found a new home for my heart and it was safer with him than anywhere else.

I was terrified of what this meant, but it terrified me more to imagine my life without him. I always knew the possibility of me falling hard for him, but even I didn't imagine it would feel this strong, this fulfilling.

"I love you," I whispered just as I felt a tear hit my cheek.

"Happy tears?"

"Very happy," I answered. Cupping my face he wiped the tear away, and then kissed me passionately.

I was completely, unconditionally, and irrecoverably bound to him.

And I didn't want it any other way.

* * *

**_Please leave a review!_**

**_Love ya, Emotion_**


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